


What You Thought You Knew

by AlexNichole



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-25
Updated: 2013-02-04
Packaged: 2017-11-26 22:49:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/655227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexNichole/pseuds/AlexNichole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“How do they all know you?” Stiles asked as Derek pushed them back out and into the crowd. “How come EVERYONE knows you?” Stiles stopped walking and spun to face Derek. Scott did the same. </p>
<p>“I used to work here.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New York

**Author's Note:**

> I would just like to take a moment to say that this fic was never my first priority, so if you are going to say something about needing a beta reader, better editing, or that Cali to NY "isn't possible in a weekend" (of course it's not but it never says they got back in time, did it? I spent a lot of time traveling as a kid, and I can tell you that that trip is possible in four days), or other petty details involving the Camaro, or characters, I would like you to speak to my full college course load and several hours I spend practicing piano, clarinet, and (this semester) saxophone and trumpet. So please, unless you have an ACTUAL comment or question about it and you're not just going on about my lack of editing, don't comment. I am in University, and school is my FIRST priority. Thanks. 
> 
> But on the other hand, if you like my work, or have questions about it, and can overlook the petty grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as the somewhat obscure (at times) plot line, feel free to comment. 
> 
> I got this idea while in the shower, like all normal people. We are also just going to assume that Derek is about 23-ish because I actually have no clue how old he is. It's post season two, and the alphas have just arrived. 
> 
> Take note of the meaning of the name Derek. It means "great ruler." and Baylee (I used an odd spelling) means "man in charge", or the feminine, "in charge." 
> 
> We'll meet another character later. His name means "brave." 
> 
> Also my tumblr: insomniacswithcoffee
> 
> If you have any questions about characters, plot lines, or anything feel free to ask me on Tumblr! I'd love to answer (:

Scott gaped at Stiles in disbelief. There was no way he was doing this. He started to shake his head no, but before he could even get half the movement out, Stiles stopped him. 

“Listen okay?” Stiles protested. “Derek said this girl knows stuff. That she can help us.” 

“But why do we trust him?” Scott’s anger and confusion was evident on his face. “Why do YOU trust him?” Scott saw Stiles pull one of his ‘you are getting on my last nerve’ faces, and prepared himself for what he knew was coming: Stiles Babble and Sass.

“I don’t know about you but I kind of appreciate the fact that he’s saved my life more than once, you know? And it’s not like either of us is cut out to handle this without him. Hell, HE’S not even cut out to handle this. That’s why we need HER.” 

“Who’s HER?” Scott questioned. “And I can’t just run off with you and Derek to New York. My Mom and I still aren’t talking about what happened, and I know your Dad is still freaked out.” 

“Well, I told my Dad I was staying at your house for the weekend so…” Stiles stuck his head just inside the door. “Scott’s going to stay with me for the weekend, alright Mrs. McCall?” There was a faint ‘okay’ from the second floor, and with that Stiles grabbed Scott’s arm and pulled him outside to Derek and the Camaro. 

“Why do you even need us?” Scott asked from the backseat. “And who is this girl we’re looking for?” Stiles had some weird camaraderie with Derek suddenly, and was not only sitting in the passenger’s seat, but was playing with the radio dials. Scott had tried that once. Derek had slapped him hard enough to leave a bruise that didn’t heal for several hours. “And why does he get to do that?” Scott reached forward to change the station, and Derek pushed his hand away. 

“I like him.” Derek said. “He listens.” The last word was almost growled, but Scott didn’t miss the smug look on his best friends face. “And as for the girl, her name is Baylee. She’s human but she…knows stuff. She can help. And I need you,” Derek cut Scott off before he could even get a sound out, “because she won’t just come with me, if I ask.”

“Why not?” Scott asked. “Obviously she doesn’t trust you. I mean, I don’t even know if I trust you.” 

“It’s more than that.” Derek’s fingers tightened almost imperceptibly on the wheel. He really, really didn’t feel like explaining this. They’d find out when they got there. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning they woke up in a cheap motel. Derek had made Scott and Stiles share the bigger bed in the corner, but sometime in the night Stiles must have gotten up to use the bathroom and accidently crawled back in the wrong bed. Derek arm hung heavily over Stiles’ slim frame and Stiles took up a good portion of the bed. Scott scowled at the sight of them. 

“Good morning to you, too, grumpy pants. I have Sourwolf and Grumpywolf. What am I, freakin’ Snow White.” Stiles laughed at his own joke and tried to work his way out from under Derek’s arm. 

“Snow White had dwarves.” Derek rolled over as he spoke, freeing Stiles. “And I don’t think any of them were ‘sour.’” Stretching, Derek ambled into the bathroom. Stiles’ eyes followed his shoulders. Catching Scott watching him he looked away. 

“What?” Stiles’ asked, a little defensively. “I got in the wrong bed last night. It’s no big deal.” Scott rolled his eyes. 

“If that would have been me, I’d have gone through the wall.” With that, Scott got up, avoiding Stiles’ eyes, and got dressed. 

Derek heard all of this from the bathroom, and winced a little at the truth of it. Scott probably would have gone through the wall if he’d of crawled into bed with him. As it was, he wasn’t sure why he’d let Stiles in. Maybe it was because Stiles was safe, there weren’t any threats from him. Or maybe it had been the note of panic in Stiles breathing when he’d woken in a cold sweat from the nightmare, and the way his eyes had locked with Derek’s in the dim light of early morning. Something about all of that had made Derek open his arms and give an encouraging nod and a ‘come here’ hand gesture. Stiles hadn’t hesitated a bit in crawling underneath the covers and wrapping his shaking arms around the man. And maybe that’s what scared Derek the most. 

“Let’s go.” Derek said, opening the bathroom door. He could feel the tension between the two boys but chose not to acknowledge it. “If we hurry, we’ll make it by midnight. Her shift should be just beginning.” 

“Wait, her shift? What does she do?” Scott asked as he opened the door to the Camaro. Stiles’ shrugged at Scott and climbed in front. Derek ignored the question. They drove for hours, and stopped for food and a bathroom only once. 

The city was a little overwhelming with all of its lights and traffic. Derek navigated it with ease. Clearly he knew where he was going. 

“I had just turned 22 when I left.” Derek said. His voice was a whisper. He hadn’t spoken for the entirety of the ride. Scott did some mental math, and he was sure that Stiles was doing the same. 

“That was like a year ago. So you’re like 23.” Stiles said, glancing at the weird sad face that Derek was pulling. Derek nodded. 

“I missed his birthday.” The words were almost so low that Scott couldn’t hear them, and he wasn’t sure of Stiles had. Judging by the worry lines deepening on his face, he had. 

“Who’s birthday?” Scott tried to sound soft, and quiet, but it was hard with the city sounds all around him. Derek just swallowed hard and didn’t say anything. He turned a corner, and immediately pulled the car into a shady looking lot. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A strip club?” Stiles jaw hit the floor and Scott was just as shocked. “Is this what you meant by ‘shift?’?” Derek only shrugged at the question and told Stiles (a little harshly) to shut his mouth. 

“What kind of girl is she?” Scott’s tone was a little accusing, and Derek stiffened. 

“Don’t,” he pushed his hands into fists and took a deep breath before continuing. “talk about Baylee like that. She’s a far better person than you could hope to be.” 

“And apparently she knows a lot of werewolfy stuff.” Stiles added, earning a small, approving look from Derek. Stiles beamed. 

The bouncer seemed to know Derek, and greeted him like an old friend. They bumped fists and Derek motioned to Scott and Stiles. At first the bouncer looked a little apprehensive, but after Derek assured him they were only here to see an old friend and he wouldn’t buy them drinks, they were all ushered inside. 

Lights flashed, and some slutty Rihanna song made the floor vibrate. Nearly naked girls brushed against them, but Derek didn’t pay attention to any of them. Instead, he motioned for the boys to follow him and made a beeline for a door that was hidden in a corner. He knocked twice, almost like it was a code, and the door opened. 

“Derek!” Shrill, excited voices greeted them. 

“Ladies.” Derek smiled and nodded his head to them. “And gentlemen.” He waved to a few men in the back of the room, who waved back and made a few remarks that Stiles and Scott didn’t really understand. “This club caters to everyone.” Derek explained to the boys. He put heavy emphasis on the last word, and watched the understanding dawn on their faces. He chuckled a little before addressing the room at large. “Is Baylee around?” 

One of the girls in the back stopped swiping mascara onto her heavily made-up eyes and answered Derek. 

“She’s on floor. Back left corner.” The girl studied Derek. “I don’t know if she’ll be so keen to see you.” Stiles watched as the girl turned back to the mirror and flipped a page in what was clearly a college textbook. Suddenly, he had a little more respect for them. 

“Thanks.” Derek said gruffly, not trying to hide the annoyance at the girl’s last words. 

“How do they all know you?” Stiles asked as Derek pushed them back out and into the crowd. “How come EVERYONE knows you?” Stiles stopped walking and spun to face Derek. Scott did the same. 

“I used to work here.” 

“Wait like, WORK here.” This time, Scott’s jaw was on the floor. Derek pinched the bridge of his nose, like this was a conversation that he did not want to have. 

“Yes,” he answered, looking Scott in the eyes. “I did what I had to do, much like those people in there. They have families and college bills. We all did what he had to do.” Derek pushed past Scott and yanked on Stiles’ hoodie. Stiles followed him, and Scott jogged to catch up with them.

“Don’t you think that’s something you should have shared with us?” Scott asked, as Derek made his way across the club, still holding onto Stiles. 

“So you WANTED me to tell you that I was a dancer? That I wore booty shorts and let people put ones in them? That I let Laura work her ass off in some horrible restaurant while I got all the glamour? Is that what you want?” Derek’s rant lasted all the way until they’d reached the back left corner. He stopped, and Scott nearly bumped into him. “Baylee.” He shouted over the music to the small blonde girl on the platform. She wore only a sparkly bra and bright blue shorts that barely covered anything. Her six inch heels looked almost like lethal weapons. Stiles assumed they probably were. She turned and met Derek’s eyes, her body stopped all activity. She didn’t look happy to see him.


	2. Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything that Stiles thought he knew about Derek just blows up in his face. How did an innocent trip to collect a hunter girl turn into some sort of adventure into Derek's past?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Brendan means "brave." Take note of that.

"I still don’t understand.” Baylee stated again, handing them glasses of water. She’d taken them to her small apartment after calling off sick for the rest of the night and changing into jeans and a t-shirt. “Why do you need me?” She was still pointedly avoiding Derek’s eyes and hadn’t even brought him water, like she’d done for Scott and Stiles. 

“You know stuff.” Derek answered, his voice soft. “You’re a hunter, Baylee, we need you on our side.” 

“Was.” She said, finally meeting Derek’s eyes. “I was.” Scott was secretly wondering how Derek had gotten himself tangled up with two hunter girls. “I gave it up. Especially after you. And Brendan. My Dad can never know what he is.” 

Derek glanced at the boys on the couch. He could see Scott looking a little confused, but Stiles looked like the gears in his brain were working faster than usual. He didn’t look at Derek, and that was probably a good thing at the moment. A knock on the door made Derek’s heart jump a mile in his chest. 

Baylee answered the door and handed the young girl some money. They exchanged words, some of which sounded like ‘out of town’ and they chatted back and forth for a few minutes. 

A small child, maybe four, had come in and clung to Baylee almost instantly. His large eyes looked over the scene behind her. Scott and Stiles sitting on the couch and Derek standing (nervously? Holy God Derek was NERVOUS) in the center of the room. The boy’s light green eyes met Stiles’, and it was like a wave of recognition had pushed him underwater. Untidy black hair fought against the soothing hand that Baylee ran over hers sons head. Stiles gasped, and looked at Derek for some sort of explanation. Scott seemed to make the same connection, and he pinched Stiles to let him know it. 

“Daddy!” the boy shouted, and ran across the floor and wrapped his arms around Derek’s legs. Derek picked the boy up with ease, and Stiles saw two pairs of green eyes do the funny dog thing when they caught the light. 

“Hey Brendan.” Derek hugged the boy tightly, and closed his eyes. It almost looked like he was going to cry. Baylee closed the door and made her way back over to them. 

“You never told them?” She asked Derek after taking in the two shell-shocked faces. Derek shook his head. Baylee made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat and perched on the arm of the couch. 

Derek sat back in the arm chair, and Brendan climbed all over him, pulled his hair, bit him, almost like it was some sort of game. Apparently, it was, because Derek laughed but shushed the boy, before addressing Scott and Stiles. 

“I was 19.” He said. “Baylee had just turned 18 and neither of us were ready.” 

“But we kept him.” Baylee interjected. “But I never told my Dad what Derek was. What our son was.” 

“Wait, so Brendan is..?” Scott trailed off. 

“Yes,” Derek answered. “He was born a werewolf, like me.” 

“Derek and I didn’t stay together due to some…” Baylee looked at Derek, clearly unsure of what to say.

“Baylee and I were best friends that let things get out of hand.” Derek finished. “There’s no easy way to say this.” He swallowed hard and looked at Baylee. She spoke for him.

“Derek and I both…LIKE the same things. Sometimes, that doesn’t always work.” She glanced at Derek before running her hand through her hair. 

“Wait so are you saying…” Stiles began, but Derek shot him a warning look. Stiles ignored it. “How come you never said that either?” He asked. Derek shrugged.

“I didn’t think my sexual orientation was any of your concern.” Scott only looked slightly shocked at the words, but they’d hit Stiles like a ton of bricks. In his own world of confusion, finding out the hottest guy ever (that you’d also just shared a bed with) was gay, was a big deal. Especially since Stiles had just sort of admitted to himself that he was attracted to him. 

“I guess we should go then.” Baylee stated. She turned to Derek. “If Brendan gets hurt, I will kill you.” Baylee’s eyes held a warning, and her voice dripped poison. “Now stand up, and tell me what the hell I’m supposed to do.” 

Derek rose, and began. 

“We just need more people on our side. I trust you. I trust your skills.” Baylee nodded at his words. 

“Brought these two for leverage, did you?” Derek nodded. Baylee appraised Scott and Stiles before saying “Stiles is human.” It wasn’t a question. Baylee’s hands were on her hips and she looked back and forth between Stiles and Derek. She gave Derek a knowing look and pointed at Stiles. Derek nodded and Baylee shook her head. “Well, I’ll go gather my things.” She said, heading to her bedroom. “Derek, pack Brendan’s things, will you?” Derek jumped, but did as he was told. Stiles had never seen anyone manhandle Derek the way that Baylee did, but I guess having a kid with a girl will do that to you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drive back to Beacon Hills was awkward at first, what with Stiles, Scott and a booster seat cramped in the back, and Baylee and Derek reliving old memories up front. 

“No, no, no.” Baylee laughed. “Do you remember the one time that Laura came in when you were on floor and she just looked so horrified and then she laughed at you the rest of the night?” Baylee was almost crying she was laughing so hard. “And you couldn’t even concentrate; you just gave up and walked off the platform. Oh my god, PRICELESS.”  
“Yeah and then she tipped Jerry like twenty bucks.” The laughter in Derek’s voice was evident, but so were the layers of sadness. 

“She’d be proud of you, you know.” Baylee said then, laying a hand on Derek’s knee. Derek put his hand on hers briefly, before returning it to the wheel. “Hey you two,” Baylee was clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Wanna see pictures?” She pulled a small album out of her bag and Derek grumbled. “Oh, c’mon.” Baylee smiled as Stiles and Scott took the pictures. “You were a fabulous gay best friend.” 

The rest of the ride Scott and Stiles passed through page after page of Derek and Baylee. Them when they were younger, them after they’d started working together, Baylee pregnant, Brendan growing up. Derek stopped showing up in pictures about a year ago, and then the album ended. Derek had explained to Baylee why he’d left, and she’d forgiven him a bit. But you could still see the hurt in her eyes. It was one of those things she’d have to work through. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow, Stiles and Scott had both avoided suspicion on their parents’ part, but the whole town was buzzing with the news that Derek Hale had just come back with a blonde girl who looked like (was) a stripper and a bouncing baby boy who sported his last name. He’d arranged for an apartment for Baylee and Brendan and spent a lot of his nights there. He still made his visits out to Stiles window, much like tonight. 

“The whole town is talking about you, you know.” Stiles whispered. He was sitting on the bed, and Derek was leaning against the window frame. 

“The alphas will stay away for a while.” Derek said. “It’d be odd if I suddenly went missing.” He crossed the room and sat down next to Stiles on the bed. One warm leg was pushed up against Stiles’ and neither of them knew how to feel about it. 

“Why did Baylee look at me like that?” Stiles asked suddenly, looking sideways at Derek from underneath his eyelashes. “When we were in her apartment, right after she said that I was human.” Derek sighed, but didn’t move. 

“You know how human’s talk about their soulmates? Like they’ll know if they’ve found ‘the one’?” Stiles didn’t know what Derek was getting at, but he nodded. “Werewolves have mates. Beta’s not so much. Sure, it happens, but alphas, when they change, they suddenly become….aware. I’ve known who mine is for a bit, I mean, there were clues.” Derek stopped talking, so Stiles spurred him on. 

“So…” he started, but couldn’t find words at first. “What does this have to do with me? Alpha werewolves have mates. That’s cool, right? I mean, I’d like to suddenly become aware of who I’m supposed to be with.” 

“It’s more than that.” Derek’s voice was strained. “My Mom was the alpha. My Dad, a human, was her mate. He was her better half. There’s no way to explain it. There are no words. He made her strong. He made the pack better. It’s just…unexplainable.” Derek seemed frustrated, and Stiles laid a hand on his knee. 

“That still doesn’t tell me anything about why Baylee looked at me like that.” Stiles was studying Derek’s profile, watching worry lines pop up here and there. 

“That’s one of her talents. Baylee.” Derek said. “She can tell who’s human and who’s not. She can strategize. She’s a highly trained hunter. Better than Allison, even. Better than the whole Argent family.” Derek stopped, clearly not knowing what to say next. “And she can…sense things. Kind of…figure things out, without any clues.” Derek glanced at Stiles as if to gauge his understanding. Stiles nodded to reassure him. “I might have a child by her, and she might be my very best friend, but until that day, she’d never sensed anything like that before. She felt my mate Stiles. She figured it out.” Derek took in a deep breath, and didn’t flinch when Stiles hand shot off his knee in understanding. “I wanted to wait until you were older. Legal. But then, with Brendan, I didn’t see how…” Derek trailed off, turning his face away from Stiles’ gaze. 

Stiles didn’t speak for a long while. He only studied Derek’s profile while Derek studied the wall. He didn’t know what to say, or think. Eventually he got up and stood in front of Derek, lifting his chin with a finger. A lot of things were starting to make sense, but Stiles needed time. 

“I think…” Stiles began, and he could already see the hurt blossoming in Derek’s eyes, quickly hidden behind walls of hostility. “I think I need time.” Derek nodded once before darting to the window. He stood at the window for a moment before glancing over his shoulder at Stiles. Although Stiles wasn’t looking at him, he could still see the light green eyes in his peripheral vision. They looked like they wanted Stiles to look back. 

Derek didn’t say anything else. He just pulled himself out of the window and into the night. Stiles made plans to visit Baylee the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh my new college semester is starting but I will try so hard to have more.


	3. Confused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles consults Baylee and Danny (and Scott) about everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um, yep. This is mainly a set-up chapter for the rest. Hope you like it (:

The next morning came far too soon for Stiles’ jumbled brain. Scott had tried to call him several times, but Stiles just didn’t want to talk at the moment. He knew that avoiding his friend wasn’t the solution, but right now, all he could figure to do was go see Baylee. Hoisting himself out of bed he pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed his car keys. Palming his slightly longer hair, he tried to quietly sneak down the stairs, to no avail. 

“Stiles.” His Dad’s voice was harsh, almost a bark, and Stiles stopped. 

“Hey, Dad, look I just have some things to do I-” The Sherriff held up a hand and Stiles’ sentence trailed off. Stiles looked expectant, and the Sherriff put on a serious face. 

“What do you know about this Baylee girl and her kid?” The question was up front, and Stiles could tell his Dad knew he knew something.

“I um, I don’t really know I mean, isn’t she with Derek or something?” The stammering let out the lie a little and the Sherriff gave his son the ‘I am so done with this bullshit’ face. “Look, Dad, you can’t just make me your personal gossip magazine. Go ask the girls in the hair salon, I bet they know.” 

“I just want to know.” His dad said. “I’m just curious.” 

“Why?” Stiles demanded. “Derek isn’t wanted anymore. He’s innocent remember?” The Sherriff shrugged but looked at Stiles, his eyes hard. 

“Her name is Baylee, and that kid Brendan is her son by Derek. They knew each other in New York and he had to leave her to come here. She decided to follow, I guess, for Brendan’s sake.” Stiles tried not to give too much away, but he knew his Dad was trying to put connections together. He’d never said anything about what had happened, but Stiles knew it was coming. 

“They look a little young to have a four year old.” Stiles was suddenly offended at that. 

“He’s 23 Dad, so he had a kid young he made a few mistakes at least he’s taking care of it I mean c’mon it’s obvious they both love him.” The sentence came out as one long phrase, and Stiles kept going. “Can’t you just leave him alone? Hos whole family died, and then he came here looking for his sister and now she’s dead too. The LEAST you can do is leave his new family alone.” The Sherriff looked a little shocked at his son’s outburst but didn’t say anything. He only nodded and watched as his son slammed the door and was gone. 

Stiles was a little confused at his sudden taking to Derek, as he’s sure his Dad was. He blamed it on everything that had happened lately, and pulled out of the drive. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stiles was relieved to find Derek absent of Baylee’s apartment when he showed up. Derek probably knew that he would come talk to her, but it would be easier and less awkward, if Derek wasn’t here. Baylee seemed to know exactly what Stiles was thinking. 

“He’s not here. Won’t be back for a bit.” She said, opening the door wider. “He told you, didn’t he?” She didn’t really wait for an answer, seeming to read it in Stiles eyes. “Look, it’s probably my fault. He said he wanted to wait and I shouldn’t have pointed it out. It’s clear you’re not ready yet.” 

“I’m ready.” Stiles nearly shouted. “I just…it caught me off guard is all.” Stiles lowered his voice, and his gaze with one withering look from Baylee. If looks could kill, this woman would be their saving grace in an alpha attack. Brendan came running from around the corner and crawled into Stiles’ lap without hesitation. He could feel the boy processing him, his smell, the way he looked, the way he moved. 

“What’s your name?” Brendan asked, his voice high and cutting in the silence of the morning. Of course he wouldn’t remember him, he’d been mostly sleeping in the car. 

“Stiles.” Stiles answered. Brendan nodded and ran back around the corner. 

“Even he can feel it.” Baylee spoke quietly, knowingly. “You don’t smell familiar to him at all, not like another werewolf would. And yet here he is, running all over you. Derek is part of him, Stiles. Derek is drawn to you and always has been. His child is going to pick up on that too.”

“How?” Stiles asked a lot of question in one word. 

“For Derek, it came after the change.” She sat down next to Stiles on the couch and took his hand, studying it. “There were probably clues before but…they were stronger after.” Baylee looked up, trying to meet Stiles eyes. Stiles refused. “For Brendan, it’s…like a smell. But different. He can smell Derek on you, but there’s something with it, something comforting. Something like family.” Stiles visibly startled at these words, and Baylee let go of his hand. 

“I’m 17.” Stiles’ words were hard. He knew he was going back on everything he’d just tried to prove to Baylee. He wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready at all. 

“He’ll wait. That’s the thing.” Baylee’s voice was soft, but her voice was heavy. “He’ll wait forever if that’s what it takes.”

“But how can he have a mate if you and him happened?” Stiles knew the question didn’t really ask everything that he wanted to know, but he also felt that Baylee would understand. 

“First, remember that Derek was 19. People do stupid things. He’s my best friend and we, you know, got out of hand. He came out to me when I was still pregnant, but I knew, before that. I’m not hurt by his choices. Most of them anyway. But being with someone doesn’t mean you love them. If you refuse him, he’ll move on, but it won’t be….” Baylee seemed to search for words. She stood slowly, smoothing out the creases on her jeans. “He won’t be happy. He’d be happiest with you. He can love someone else, but he’d love you best.” 

Stiles brown eyes met Baylee’s blue ones at these words. Stiles heart jumped about and it felt like it was pounding against his ribs. Brendan came in and threw himself across Stiles’ legs again. This time, he had a picture. 

“This is for you.” The child held an image of Derek, maybe two years ago. He was swinging Brendan up towards the ceiling and they were both smiling. Stiles took the picture carefully and help it between two fingers. He could easily picture Derek holding Brendan suspended above him like that, and then pulling them just close enough for their noses to touch before pulling him into a giant bear hug. Enter Stiles, smiling and joining the madness that his mind identified as family. He shook his head, ridding himself of the images.

“Thank you.” He said to Brendan, not quite able to meet his eyes, so much like Dereks. He ruffled his silky black hair and stood up. “I should go.” Baylee nodded and handed Brendan a lego, which he promptly took and ran back around the corner. Stiles assumed his room was back there. 

“If you need me…” she said gently, handing Stiles a piece of paper with her number on it. “That’s what he brought me back here for you know. Help. He never specified what kind. “ Stiles nodded, thanked her, and left. 

Just as he was pulling out of the building’s parking lot, and familiar black Camaro pulled in. Stiles avoided looking at it. 

“So what are you gonna do?” Scott asked. He was busy texting Allison, but was aware enough to play attention to Stiles’ problem. Things had been really tough the first few days after all the shit went down with Jackson and everything. But eventually the boys realized that they were too close to one another to walk away from the friendship now. 

“I don’t know.” Stiles said, shrugging. He spun himself around in Scott’s computer chair. “Wait, I guess. I’m not legal remember?” 

“Wait,” Scott said, looking up from his conversation. “So does that mean you’re actually…” Stiles shrugged before Scott could finish his sentence. 

“I don’t know.” He said. “I don’t know what I like. Would you understand if I told you that I was confused?” 

“No.” Scott said, and for a moment Stiles was scared. “But I would accept it.” Scott’s grin lifted Stiles spirit a little. Knowing he had one person to talk to. His next option that day…was Danny. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why do you need to talk to me?” Danny asked, poking around Stiles room. 

“I don’t know, I was just bored.” Stiles said. “But I had a question.” Danny looked at him, almost like he already knew what Stiles was going to ask. It was really starting to get annoying; this habit that people had of knowing things about him that he didn’t know. 

“I mean, not that I didn’t see it coming,” Danny chuckled a little. “Gaydar!” he made flashing motions with his hands above his head. Stiles face clearly betrayed his obvious annoyance. “Sorry, buddy.” He said, his face not apologizing. Danny shrugged and sat down on the bed next to him. Danny looked at him, a little worried. “Go ahead. I am completely and totally not going to judge you.” 

“How did you know?” Stiles asked, looking up at his friend. Danny looked back, totally blank. “Like, that you liked boys?” Danny nodded a little. 

“I just knew, I guess. I mean, it wasn’t like there was some giant sign pointing to a guy that said ‘be with me’.” Stile winced, thinking of Derek and the mate thing, but Danny didn’t notice. “I’d been with a few girls before my first guy, but I didn’t realize it could be different.” 

“Different how?” Stiles asked. He was thinking back on the few make-out sessions he’d had. At the time, they’d seemed pretty good. 

“Like, girls were good, you know?” Danny said, his eyes kind of glassy. He clearly wasn’t with Stiles anymore. “When I knew, it was because he made me feel good. But not like you think.” He glanced at Stiles, who hadn’t realized he’d been staring. “It was just this deep seated feeling when I kissed, that that’s what I knew I liked.” 

“Oh.” Stiles looked at his hands. Danny moved a little closer, reaching out to tilt Stiles head up. 

“You don’t have to know.” He said. “If someone loves you, they’ll know, and you’ll know.” Stiles was caught off guard by his friends sudden tenderness. Danny pushed himself off the bed, and turned back when he reached the door. “I hope that helped.” 

“It did.” Stiles said, and he wasn’t lying. Knowing that it wasn’t a solid thing was better. But now he had to find out if he loved Derek. And there was really only way to do that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Derek was lying on the couch watching Brendan play with Legos, occasionally helping out in the building of what his son called a castle, when he got the text. 

We need to talk. Four words that seemed to throw him to the ground when he checked the sender. Sighing, he pulled himself together enough to place the blue Lego on top of the red one and text Stiles back. 

As soon as Baylee walked through the door, her arms weighed down with grocery bags, Derek tried to make a run for it. 

“Nope, not now.” Baylee called out. “I know where you’re going and you can help me put groceries away first.” Derek turned and jogged into the kitchen. “And it’s good for him.” She mouthed, knowing her son’s werewolf hearing would pick it up even if she whispered. “He understands we’re not together but he needs to see us getting along.” Derek nodded, knowing it was true. “And be gentle with Stiles. He’s so lost.” 

Derek was caught off guard, but not totally in the dark. He could smell Stiles in the apartment, he knew that he’d come to talk to Baylee. 

“What did you tell him?” Derek asked, placing frozen peas in the freezer. Baylee handed him the milk before answering. 

“Just explained the whole mate thing from a more objective view, and not from the view of his mate.” She looked at Derek pointedly. He took the cheese and butter from her, and opened the refrigerator one more time. He sighed. 

“Okay, well I really should go talk to him then.” Derek said, using his thumb to smooth out the crease between Baylee’s eyebrows. “Don’t worry.” He pulled Baylee in for a hug and realized how much he missed the relationship he had with her. It really had been special, still was, and if he could trust anyone, it would be her.


	4. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally a real Sterek chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I don't know how much you guys are really liking any of this but yeah. It's getting exciting. What I'm writing now (Chapter 7) has potential to be pretty bad ass. I'll try to keep up with one chapter a day but I don't know how long that will last. I'll try though!

Stiles startled a little when Derek tapped on his window. He’d been sitting on his bed since Danny left. Turning his phone over and over in his hands, he lost track of time since he’d texted Derek. 

“Finally.” He said, not able to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. 

“I had to help Baylee put groceries away.” Derek said. “She wouldn’t let me leave.” Stiles smiled a little. 

“Whipped.” His lips barely moved but he knew that Derek heard him just from the low growl he got in response. It wasn’t threatening though, it was almost playful. When Stiles turned around he found Derek studying something on his corkboard. A little worried, he realized it was probably the picture that Brendan had given him. He’d tucked it into the frame of it, somehow not able to out a tack through it like he had Baylee’s number, which was right next to it. 

“Where’d you get this?” Derek didn’t sound mad.

“Brendan gave it to me.” Stiles said, moving closer to Derek. “Baylee said I smelled like family to him.” 

“You do.” Derek said. Stiles throat clicked, and Derek could hear it as he swallowed. “You smell like someone he can trust. He knows that.” 

“What do I smell like to you?” Stiles asked. He reached out a hand to touch Derek, thought better of it, and walked back across the room to sit on the bed. 

“Like Stiles.” Derek sat down next to him, letting his body heat radiate. It washed over Stiles like warm water. He was instantly relaxed. “But after a while…I…” Derek drew one finger up Stiles leg, stopping when he reached his hip. He settled his hand on the bed, letting his thumb push against Stiles’ thigh. “After a while I realized that you smelled different.” 

Stiles looked at Derek not knowing what to say. 

“I switched deodorant. That’s what it was.” Stiles joked, unable to keep quiet in the calm twilight. Surprisingly, Derek chuckled a little. 

“It was more than that.” Derek looked at his hands, which he’d moved to his lap. 

“Wait so you noticed that?” Stiles was mildly horrified. Derek full on laughed at the face he pulled. 

“Yes, I did.” He laughed, before falling back into seriousness. “And it wasn’t so much like a smell, Stiles.” Derek knew that there wasn’t a real way to sat it. “It just was.” 

“It can’t just BE.” Stiles was angry now. Jumping up, he faced Derek. “It can’t just be!” He repeated. “There had to be something. A smell, a feeling, a freaking neon sign.” At this point Derek had stood as well, and Stiles felt like maybe he’d crossed a line. 

“Home.” He said. “You feel like home, Stiles.” Derek looked like it had taken all the strength he had to say that. 

“I…I what?” Stiles was floored. He knew what that word meant to Derek. He knew how much it had cost him to say it. 

“Yeah.” Derek didn’t look like he’d be saying anything else for a while. Hesitant, Stiles pulled himself onto his feet and took a step toward Derek. Derek didn’t back away, but he didn’t welcome it either. 

“Derek,” Stiles whispered. “I don’t know how I feel.” He was standing right in front of the older man, looking up into his eyes, and Derek was looking down into his. Stiles reached out a soft hand, placing it gently on Derek’s waist. He pulled himself nearer, and Derek let his guard down a little and let his arms snake around Stiles hips. Up on his tiptoes, his lips whispered right on Derek’s. “Derek.” 

Their lips had barely touched when Stiles felt it. It was like sparks up his spine, like warm hands on him, like cool water running over his shoulders. All of it was so heady, so overwhelming and he wanted more. Pushing himself upward he smashed his lips harder on Derek’s, let his hands find their way to his neck. The pressure of Derek’s fingertips was burning into his hips. 

“Stiles.” Derek sounded out of breath, and that almost never happened. “Stop, Stiles. This isn’t…” He pushed the boy away, worried he wouldn’t be able to keep his self-control. “This isn’t right.” Again, Stiles couldn’t control his anger. 

“You’re the one preaching to me about mates and this ISN’T RIGHT?” Stiles backed away from the hulking form of the werewolf. The sun had gone down and the moon left Derek looking like a solid shadow in his bedroom. 

“It’s illegal Stiles.” Derek took a big step forward, and Stiles stepped back. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time we did something illegal.” Stile spit the words. He knew they were true. 

“This is different. Your Dad doesn’t trust me.” 

"No, but he trusts me.” 

“Barely.” Derek knew the word was wrong the minute he said it. 

“Get out.” Stiles said, his voice wavering, but convicted. “Get. Out.” He repeated when Derek didn’t move. 

“Stiles…” he said. “Please, listen to me.” 

“Get. Out. GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT.” Stiles’ fists pounded against Derek’s chest. While he didn’t feel the punches, he felt the hurt behind them. Stepping back, he pulled himself out of the window. Looking back, he saw Stiles shaking form in the shadows. He knew he should have waited. 

Angry, he spun out the tires on his Camaro before tearing down the street. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is your fault!” He told Baylee when he’d calmed down enough to go see her. Derek had been furious, and probably dangerous. Now, he thought it was a bit better. 

“Mine?” Baylee said, completely calm. “You’re the one that acted on it.” 

“You told him!” Derek said, although it wasn’t completely true. Baylee shrugged it off. 

“He needed to know.” Brendan growled at Derek’s accusatory finger pointing at his mother. Derek scooped him up off the floor, perching the boy on one hip. Brendan growled again, playful this time, and not protective. 

“I’ll figure it out.” Derek conceded with a glance. You didn’t fight Baylee, and if you did, you picked your battles wisely. 

“You better.” She said. “I need a baby sitter for Brendan when I start work and he said he’d do it.” Derek gave a famous ‘having none of your bullshit looks’ but walked out of the kitchen before he said anything. 

“When does he start?” Derek called from Brendan’s bedroom where he was trying to put the young one to bed, for the second time. 

“Tomorrow. I go in at noon.” 

“Where at?” Derek asked as soon as he’d gotten Brendan to lie down. Walking back around the corner to the kitchen again he leaned against the doorframe. 

“The Sherrifs office.” Baylee passed by Derek on her way out. “I’m a secretary.” 

“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Derek called after her. 

“Oh, I do.” Baylee’s smugness was evident. Derek sighed. He’d brought her here to help, and he had to trust her if it killed him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh, you have nothing to worry about, Sherriff; I know exactly what I’m doing.” Baylee’s innocent façade was something she’d always been able to play up on. It worked for her. Derek stood next to her, the Sherriff kept throwing glances his way. 

“How’d you wrangle Stiles into watching your son?” Sherriff Stilinski asked, clearly a little shocked. 

“We met at the grocery store.” Baylee smiled, letting her blue eyes do all the talking. “He was with his friend…Scott, I think?” She looked at Derek for confirmation. Playing dumb. Got it. 

“Yeah,” Derek said, nodding along. “Him and Brendan just really hit it off.” He looked back at Baylee, and she smiled. 

“And tell me if this is too forward but uh, you too planning on tying the knot anytime soon?” The Sherriff wagged his finger between the two of them. 

“Oh, no.” Baylee shook her head, letting her innocence once again infect the room. “Irreconcilable differences. We’re very close friends though. He’s a wonderful father. And I’d better get to work.” She smiled at the Sherriff again, clearly flustering him, and floated around the corner to her paperwork. 

“I’d better get going then.” Derek nodded casually at the Sherriff, and turned to leave. He turned back though, when a hand caught his shoulder. “Yes?” he asked. 

“Can I trust you, Derek?” The Sherriff was dead serious, and it showed in his eyes. 

“Yes, you can.” Despite losing his back (Erica and Boyd were still missing, but Derek could feel they were okay and Isaac was flip flopping back and forth every day). He had no intentions of causing the sort of havoc that had happened last year. The Sherriff nodded curtly at him, and turned the corner. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The apartment was eerily quiet when he arrived after dropping Baylee off to work. It almost made the hair stand up on the back of his head. 

“Brendan?” He called through the living room. “Stiles?” 

“Well that its then.” Stiles said when Brendan came out of the shadows to greet his father. “Ruined our game of hide and seek. Not that is was fair. He can smell me. That’s not fair when I’m hiding.” 

“I told you not to cheat.” Derek smiled at the boy, swinging him up above his head and pulling down just far enough to nuzzle noses. Stiles got the weirdest sense of déjà vu. 

“Baylee gets off at nine. Brendan eats at five. Bed at eight.” Derek avoided looking at Stiles. “I’m going out to look for Erica and Boyd. I caught their scent yesterday and I intend to follow it. 

“Are they okay?” Stiles asked. He was afraid of the answer. 

“I think so.” Derek looked back and into Stiles eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to them.” He said, and Stiles nodded. “Did Mommy tell you the rules?” Derek asked, turning his face so he could see Brendan, who had climbed on his back and was begging for a piggy back ride. 

“Yes, Daddy.” Brendan said, jumping to the floor. I guess when you had a werewolf child you didn’t really worry about the jumping from your shoulder to the floor. 

“And what were they?” Derek asked, staring down at his mini-me. 

“Do what Stiles says and no biting.” The boy repeated. 

“He’s usually a good kid.” Derek said, speaking to Stiles now. “But I mean, if he bites you on accident… welcome to the pack.” 

“So he could change me?” Stiles hid his fear well, but Derek could smell it. 

“Yeah, but he won’t.” Derek turned to head out the door. 

“How do you know that?” Stiles called after him. 

“Because you feel like home to him too, Stiles. You feel like family. He wouldn’t hurt you that way.” Derek looked over his shoulder one more time at the man in the hallway. “I won’t be back tonight.” He finished simply and shut the door.


	5. Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Like….” Isaac hesitated. Stiles wasn’t sure if it was because he thought he’d gotten it wrong, or because he was scared. “Like I should be taking orders from you.”

Stiles looked down at the child he was watching. Derek’s child. His phone buzzed and he took a moment to answer it. Weirdly enough it was Isaac. Just ran into Derek. It read. He said to come by the apartment. You’d explain things? Stiles texted back a quick reply and went about trying to pick up all the Legos that Brendan was trailing around the apartment. He was growling as he went, but playfully. Stiles was beginning to realize that werewolf kids had a lot of parallels with puppies. Just from seeing the way that Derek and Baylee interacted with him, he could tell that they had a pack dynamic. Lying down on the floor next to Brendan’s Lego castle he continued to muse over everything. Every so often Brendan would hand him a Lego and demand that he put it on the ‘castle.’ 

He let his mind roam while the child played he couldn’t help but think about what had happened before. With the kanima. And Allison. She’d tried to kill her classmates and then had walked out of everyone’s life. Except Scotts. He loved her, that much was clear. As for Lydia and Jackson, well, Jackson had skipped town, but Lydia wasn’t worried. She said she knew where he was and he was safe and they were still seeing each other. And that was alright with Stiles. He’d thought about stretching the ten year plan onto fifteen, but in the end had decided it wasn’t worth it. It was true love that had saved Jackson that night, and Stiles wasn’t going to come in between that. A soft knock at the door caused Brendan to growl rather aggressively. The boy didn’t look up from his building though, and that amused Stiles. Every minute he spent with him he could see more and more of Derek. 

“Come in.” Stiles called. He figured it was Isaac, and almost anyone (killer or not) would have just barged in. After a moment, Isaac rounded the corner and sank into the chair. Isaac eyed the child warily, and Brendan did the same. 

“I’m Isaac.” He said to the child. 

“I’m Brendan. Are you pack?” It almost scared Stiles how smart this kid was sometimes. But then again, he could probably smell Isaac, and would probably be able to tell if he was lying. 

“Yeah.” Isaac said, nodding. Brendan didn’t say anything else. He growled softly, protectively, when Isaac reached out to shake Stiles’ hand. Isaac didn’t seem to notice it, but it weirded Stiles out. Stiles sat up, his back against the couch. Some stupid cartoon was playing on the TV, so he changed it to Spongebob. Brendan immediately sat back from his Legos, eyes trained on the TV. 

“Well that was easy.” Stiles laughed, turning to Isaac. “Questions?” he asked, knowing that Isaac probably had a million. 

“Derek was really a stripper?” Isaac looked slightly disgusted, and weirdly intrigued (but aren’t all?) at the idea. Stiles chuckled a little. 

“Yeah,” he said. “Booty shorts and all.” He looked at Isaac and was glad to see him smiling. 

“Derek gave me the rundown on almost everything.” Isaac said after a minute. “I don’t really need to know anything else.” Stiles nodded. 

“You’re free to hang out here of you want. You can pick up Baylee when she gets off work. After all, if Derek is your alpha that makes you privy to all that he has right?” Stiles sarcasm was barely there, but Isaac caught it. 

“I guess so.” He said. “I don’t mind it.” They both laughed and turned their eyes to Brendan whose eyes were still trained on the TV. Squidward was playing his clarinet rather badly, and Brendan started laughing at something Spongebob had said. A funny look crossed over Isaacs face just then. “You smell different.” He said suddenly. Stiles rolled his eyes. 

“Like what?” he said. “Figure it out.” 

“Like….” Isaac hesitated. Stiles wasn’t sure if it was because he thought he’d gotten it wrong, or because he was scared. “Like I should be taking orders from you.” Brendan growled softly under his breath again (how was this kid EVER going to manage in school?) and Stiles gulped. Apparently it was a lot more evident than he’d previously thought that it would be. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Derek parked the Camaro by his old house. It was the last place he’d smelled Erica and Boyd. Taking a moment to wolf-out, he took a deep breath and started running. It wasn’t long before he’d caught the scent again. 

After about an hour, the scent was stronger, and after another, he felt like he was on top of it. This was almost too easy. He found Erica and Boyd hiding in a hollow tree trunk, shivering, weak, and clearly scared. 

“Where are they?” He asked once he’d convinced them to come out. 

“We don’t know.” Boyd said. “They ran off. And we ran the other way. We just wanted to hide.” 

“You did the right thing.” Derek assured them. “But we need to get back. A lot has changed since we lost you.” Derek shifted again, and Boyd and Erica followed his lead. The whole way back he couldn’t help but feel like all of this had been way too easy. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Stiles had just put Brendan to bed for the third time (no wonder he had such and early bedtime) when a tired looking Derek and a bruised and battered Erica and Boyd entered the apartment. Baylee rushed out from the kitchen and started fussing over them immediately. Much to his surprise, Stiles did the same. They didn’t seem too shocked by anything, so Derek must have filled them in. That was, until Stiles grabbed Erica’s wrist to guide her down the hall to get cleaned up. 

She pulled her hand back like she’d burned and whimpered a little. Boyd wouldn’t come near Stiles either. 

“What the hell?” Stiles said to the room. “Are you hurt or not?” His anger boiled just below the surface, and he could see Erica and Boyd becoming more and more uncomfortable. Isaac even seemed uneasy. Derek sighed, and told Erica and Boyd to follow Baylee and made Isaac follow. 

“It’s the mate thing.” Derek said when the room was empty. Not that it mattered. They could all hear him anyway. “They can feel you linked to me, and so you’re like the other alpha.” 

“You mean like the male and female alpha?” Stiles asked stupidly. “You mean I’m the bitch dog here?” 

“Yes, which actually makes you more powerful.” Derek said, collapsing on the couch. Stiles remained standing, wanting a quick exit if he had to. 

“Why though. Why is this happening?” His voice was a little frantic, and an embarrassed flush rose in his cheeks. 

“Because you haven’t refused it.” Derek’s eyes were hard, but his voice was soft, and almost made Stiles want to hug him. “You’re still unsure, so as long as you are, they’ll be like that. On pins and needles around you.” 

“And if I refuse?” He asked. Derek took another deep breath. 

“Back to normal.” He said. “They might shun you. I’ve seen it.” Stiles blinked a couple times before he spoke again. 

“And if I decide to be with you?” 

“Then you’ll be the ‘bitch dog’ as you put it.” Derek looked him right in the eyes, searing straight to his bones. “You’ll be my partner. The second alpha.” 

“But I’m human.” 

“So was my Dad. Human or not, they’ll respect you. It goes deeper than that, Stiles, its instinct.” 

Stiles sighed. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to run. Just run. Instead he took one giant step forward and planted his lips on Derek’s. Holding the back of his head Stiles kissed him deeply. 

“I still don’t know yet.” He said, before marching down the hallway and out the door. Erica, Boyd, and Isaac peeked their heads around the corner. 

“He’s gone, you can come out now.” Derek said, sensing their unease. 

“Are you gonna make him pick?” Isaac asked when they’d all piled on the couch. Derek shrugged. 

“It’s up to him.” He said, and he hoped the pain and hurt weren’t evident in his eyes. He’d gotten pretty good at hiding it. Erica, Boyd, and Isaac all looked worried, and they had every right to be. “Now about this alpha pack,” Derek said, changing the subject. “Tell me everything.”


	6. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles finally makes the choice that will change everything. Scott knows that following his friend will mean things are different, but his loyalty to Stiles is greater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is boring kind of. Sorry. I just wrote some pretty kick-ass stuff for Ch 8 and 9 though!

Stiles went to Scott the next morning. He didn’t know what else to do. He might as well talk it out to his best friend. 

“So do you want to be? I mean, do you love him?” Scott asked, after taking a few minutes to soak it all in. He’d also noticed Stiles apparent new smell and was having a hard time being too close. 

“I think so.” Stiles answered both questions. It had sort of happened all at once. But he thought he was okay with it. “But, I’d really like you to be pack, too.” He looked up at Scott at these words. “That way you don’t have to avoid me like the plague.” He knew it was probably best for Scott if he joined the pack. It would mean more power, and protection. Stiles could just feel it. He needed Scott in the pack. Derek said that it was his alpha instincts taking over. He wondered if this is what Derek lived with all the time. Scott shrugged. 

“I thought about it.” He said simply. “Anyway, back to you. You know he has a FOUR YEAR OLD SON right? I mean, that would make you a father at 17 basically.” This was something else that Stiles was worried about, something that he’d asked Derek about. 

“No, it’s not like that. Wolves don’t have ‘stepdads.’ Brendan is Baylee’s son. I’ll be alpha, but not Dad.” Stiles knew that’s how the pack would see it. As for the rest of the town (and his father) he’d have to deal with that when it comes. One thing that him and Derek agreed one was not to come public about it at all until Stiles was legal, or even later, if they could help it. They wanted Stiles to be as much of an adult as possible, so that things would smooth over easier. Scott nodded again. It went silent for a few minutes.  
“If you choose it, I will.” Scott said suddenly. 

“Are you sure that’s not my awesome alpha pull talking?” Stiles smiled teasingly. 

“I wish.” Scott laughed as well. “Then maybe I’d have an excuse for this stupidity. My Mom still isn’t talking to me.” 

“I noticed.” Stiles said, feeling the heaviness in the room. He laid hand on his friend’s calf, and Scott let it be. 

“I don’t know what to do. I talk to her every day. But it’s one sided. And she talks to you. You’re not a monster.”

“Soon to become one.” Stiles said. “I don’t get the bite, but I’m still pack.” Scott nodded. 

“She’ll come around, she’s just scared.” 

“Yeah, scared.” Scott scoffed. “Of me.” 

“Well c’mon.” Stiles said, jiggling Scott’s leg a little with his hand. “I need you with me when I make the big announcement.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The pack was already gathered at the apartment when Stiles and Scott got there. Stiles could feel the atmosphere change as soon as they entered the room. 

“I want you to be my alpha.” Scott said, as soon as he saw Derek. 

“Because of Stiles.” Derek answered, standing up. 

“Mostly. Something wrong with that?” Scott needed to learn to not sass Derek so much if he was going to be beta to him. Derek advanced on Scott, and Scott stood his ground. 

Another step and Stiles could see Scotts resolve wavering. The glare in Derek’s eyes was a little scary, and when they flashed red, it only made it worse. 

Scott hit his knees with a sudden thud. His lips pulled back to reveal his teeth, but no sound came out. Derek towered over him. 

“Get over there.” His voice help the weird double timbre of the alpha and Scott whimpered in response. “I sad: GO.” This time it was a little more vicious. Giving in, Scott crawled over to the couch with the rest of the pack. Immediately, the air softened and things seemed to go back to normal. Scott was breathing heavily and not looking at anyone. He was now bottom of the totem pole, and his wolf knew it. 

“What about me?” Stiles asked when he could speak again. Derek stared at him for a long minute. 

“You.” He said finally. “Come with me.” With that, he opened the door and exited. Stiles rushed to follow. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you gonna do some weird thing to me?” Stiles asked. “Is it gonna hurt?” They’d driven out to the old Hale house and were sitting on the porch steps. 

“No, and no.” Derek smiled through the words, and took Stiles’ hand in his. “Do you love me.” Derek’s voice fell flat at the end, although the question was implied. His fingers had worked themselves in between Stiles’ and he appreciated the warmth. 

“Yes.” Stiles said, and it was the absolute truth. Derek looked at him. Letting his instincts guide him, Stiles tilted his face forward, inviting Derek in. Derek kissed him slowly. He pulled the younger boy into his lap and held him there, mouth to mouth, skin to skin. His lips trailed down Stiles’ neck, and he thought he knew what Danny meant about knowing. Derek’s teeth scraped his collarbone, but not hard enough to break skin, and it sent shivers down Stiles’ spine. Derek sucked a bruise opposite the spot he’d just been and looked up at Stiles’ from under his eyelashes. Stiles’ sighed and tilted his head back, letting Derek support him. 

“Mine.” He growled, worrying at the hickey with his mouth. Derek’s voice had the weird double tone again and Stiles could see the red flash in his eyes for only a moment. 

They stayed on the porch for several hours. Half kissing, half Derek explaining Stiles’ new responsibilities. When the sun started hiding behind the trees, Derek finally pulled away (much to Stiles’ dismay) and started walking to the car. 

“What now?” Stiles asked, climbing into the passenger seat. 

“I have to claim you.” Derek said. “In front of the pack.” 

“That sounds frightening.” Stiles cringed visibly. 

“It’s not.” Derek took Stiles’ hand and held it tightly in his. They were still like that when they walked back into the apartment. 

Brendan had somehow managed to get all four of the teenage pack members on the floor with him in some kind of cuddle puddle. None of them looked like they minded. Spongebob was flipping krabby patties, and Patrick kept saying something about mayonnaise. Stiles’ tried not to get too invested in the show. He had important things to do. 

“Nice stubble burn.” Scott teased when he saw Stiles, and Stiles shot him a withering gaze. Scott cringed, and Stiles realized that he was going to have to be more careful about that now. 

Derek was still holding Stiles hand and he held their intertwined fingers in the air between them. He pointed to Stiles with his free hand. 

“Mine.” He growled again. This time, it was a little more demanding, a little scarier. Even Brendan looked, and shrank back a little. “Mine.” Derek repeated again, letting go of Stiles and putting his arm around his shoulders instead. He guided him to the couch and sat them both down, letting Stiles snuggle down into his side. 

The rest of the pack scooted back towards the couch, letting their backs, arms, and shoulders touch Derek and Stiles. They rested there, in the weird cuddle puddle, curled up on the floor. Brendan extracted himself from the tangle and climbed into Derek’s lap, burrowing his face in his neck. Baylee sat down on the other side of Derek and held her arms open to her son. Brendan scooted his legs over to his mother, but made it clear that as all she was getting. He lay on his back across Derek’s legs and stretched his hands out to take one of Stiles.’ He placed it on his small stomach and that’s when it dawned on Stiles. Of course, the kid wanted him to rub his belly. 

Stiles looked around at the weird situation he’d found himself in. it felt strange, but right. He put his head against Derek’s shoulder and let his eyes drift closed. For the moment, things were good. Scott would reconcile with his Mom, Erica and Boyd were healing, and for now the pack was getting along. But something deep in his gut told him that it wouldn’t be this way for long.


	7. Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How the hell did Stiles go about explaining THIS to his Dad?

This wasn’t the first morning that Derek and Stiles had woken tangled in Stiles’ sheets. But judging by the look on the Sherriff’s face, it would be the last.

“What the hell is going on?” His voice was deceptively calm as he took in Derek’s arm draped across his son’s chest, and Stile’s fingers lazily tangled in the man’s hair. Derek had frozen where he lay and Stiles’ eyes were wide. “Get out.” Sherriff Stilinski’s gaze burned into Derek and he rose from the bed and made to go out the window. “The front door.” Derek turned on his heel, his head still down and squeezed past the Stiles’ Dad. “I thought you said I could trust you.” Derek’s shoulders seemed to deflate but he didn’t say anything. Stiles’ heard retreating footsteps but didn’t speak until he heard the front door close. 

“Dad, I’m 17.” Stiles realized that he’s used that as an excuse a lot lately, and every time it had flip-flopped meaning. He was too young, or he was old enough. There was no in-between. He was still finding himself. 

“It’s illegal.” His Dad’s voice still sounded weirdly calm as he came over and sat on the bed next to Stiles. Stiles had pushed himself up against the headboard and was sitting cross-legged, defeated. 

“Frowned upon.” He corrected. “I looked it up.” The Sherriff sighed. 

“Of course you did.” He said. “Stiles, I don’t care…what you like…” 

“Dad really?” Stiles pulled himself out of bed and stood up, running his palms over his hair. “Can we get past they gay part? Just yell at me and tell me not to see him again and get it over with.” He hadn’t realized that tears had sprung up in his eyes and hurriedly tried to blink them away. This was embarrassing enough already. 

“I can’t do that Stiles.” His Father’s anger had turned to defeat. “You’ll just sneak around and see him anyway. I was seventeen once Stiles, I know.” Wise eyes appraised their son, the tears that he was trying to keep from falling and the subtle shake to his voice. His training told him that there was a lot more to this than finding someone in bed with his son.  
Although they were both fully clothed, and so the Sherriff did have to go a little easier on Derek, if only for that. “I need you to talk to me.” 

Almost like Derek knew (or was listening) Stiles’ phone buzzed. Two words showed up on the screen. Tell him. Stiles swallowed hard, after nodding that yes, that was Derek and giving his Dad ‘why did you even bother to ask’ look. 

“You want me to talk to you?” His Dad nodded, not knowing at all what he was about to get himself into. “What if I told you something that was straight out of a horror movie and that I’m mixed up right in the middle of it?” Stiles didn’t look at his Dad, didn’t want to see the confusion and hurt on his face. “Dad,” He took a shuddering breath before continuing. “There are scary things out there, scarier than murderers and car chases and gun fights.” Despite his best efforts tears had started falling. His Father rose from the bed, wanting to lay a comforting hand on his only son, despite the confusion he felt at what he was trying to tell him. Stiles didn’t know how to say anything else. Instead he motioned to the door, and clunked down the stairs to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair for his Dad but chose not to sit. “You know the movie Teen Wolf, right? Well, that happened to Scott. Kind of.” 

An hour later, Stiles felt like he’d explained everything pretty clearly, leaving out only the part about mates. That was a different conversation. His Dad was looking at him like he didn’t believe a word. That’s why he’d invited Scott over. 

Scott looked across the table at Mr. Stilinski, almost like he was sad for him. He watched his yes grow wide with horror as he felt his fangs come out, his ears point, and deadly claws sprout. The Sherriff didn’t move. 

“Since I’m choosing to believe this. Since I don’t have a choice.” Stiles watched his Father’s brain work as he tried to come up with something to say. “And Derek’s a werewolf?” Stiles nodded. “And you trust him? He won’t hurt you?” 

“Scott never has.” Stiles laid a hand on his friends shoulder; he’d under-exaggerated the severity in the situations when Scott had tried to kill him. He didn’t want his Dad scared the way he’d been for days after. Mr. Stilinski looked like so much of all the unsolved cases and strange things he’d experienced had suddenly been solved, and in a lot of ways, they were. 

“And this alpha pack?” Stile didn’t know how to answer that, so he only shrugged. 

“We don’t really know.” Scott said finally. “We’re not sure if they’re planning anything. Like I said, they took Erica and Boyd, but they gave them up. We don’t know why.” 

Stiles knew this was something that weighed heavily on Derek’s mind. He’d spent hours talking about it. Derek had only stopped when he’d realized that Stiles had fallen asleep on his chest. He’d smiled then, knowing that being close to someone was still okay. Maybe he wouldn’t get hurt. 

“Well, I have a shift to start.” Hauling himself up from the kitchen table the Sherriff continued. “And I have to pretend that I don’t know any of this around normal people. How do you do it?” He turned to Stiles, sudden concern in his eyes. Taking two steps he’d wrapped his arms around his son, as if he was just now realizing that the outlandish story that Stiles had just told him was true and he’d been part of it all. All those times he’s nearly lost him, all those times that he’d not said goodbye, or waved his son off, all those times he almost outlived the son that hade probably saved his life more than once. Letting go, he patted Stiles on the shoulder, and left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hello Sherriff!” Baylee’s voice was welcoming when he came in the door. 

“Hey don’t you talk to me like that!” His tone was teasing and Baylee smiled. “Stiles told me everything.” He said a little more serious this time. Baylee nodded. 

“I’m here for protection.” She said. “If you have any questions, you’re probably gonna get better answers out of me than Derek.” Baylee smiled reassuringly at the man, knowing he was probably scared out of his mind.

“I will do that.” He said, smiling. “But for now, I’m just a fan of pretending I DON’T know any of it.” Baylee laughed and nodded. He was taking all of this really well, and for that Baylee was grateful. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She finished her shift that night with an uneasy feeling in her stomach despite the fact that the Sherriff seemed to be taking things so well. Climbing into Derek’s Camaro she studied his face. 

“Is Stiles with Brendan?” She asked. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t he be?” Derek answered, looking back at her. “Right after he told the Sherriff everything I made sure he knew to go to the apartment to watch him. When he got there I went to see if I could find anything out about the alphas. Erica and Boyd don’t have much.” He could see the uneasiness in Baylee’s every movement. 

“Have you been back to the house?” She made a movement with her hands, one that clearly communicated to him that she should go. He realized, vaguely that it was sign language. They hadn’t used that since the club. It was how they all communicated while they were on floor. It was easier than shouting over the music. Starting the car, he pulled out onto the road. 

“No, I just got out of the woods and realized the time, so I was waiting on you. Is everything okay?” He knew the answer before she said it. Hunter Baylee was crawling to the surface. 

“I just feel uneasy.” Of course she wouldn’t tell him why. Hunter Baylee kept things to herself. It was safe that way. 

As soon Derek put the car in park Baylee shot out of the passenger’s seat and up the stairs to the apartment. Derek didn’t think much of it, at first. She was a Mom, she worried, that was normal. He moseyed around in the car for a minute, looking for the CD case he’d somehow lost. He hit the back of his head on the steering wheel when he heard the scream. 

Racing up the stairs his eyes found a scene that made everything that had happened in the last year somehow seem less horrible in comparison. Baylee was standing in the middle of the living room, tears streaming down her face. The apartment looked like it had been ransacked. Brendan and Stiles were nowhere to be seen. 

Derek heard a faint scuffling from the kitchen cabinet. Warily he used a claw to pull the door open. It was dim, and the kitchen light seemed to have been broken, but to his werewolf vision it could have been the middle of the day. 

Stiles’ hands were duct taped behind his back, and his ankles been taped together. His knees were pushed up to his chest, and a rope had been used to secure him in the ball. Tears ran down his cheeks in rivers and into the duct tape that covered his mouth.

Yanking him out, Baylee helped him cut the tape off. Stiles took a shuddering breath when they ripped the tape from his mouth before speaking. 

“They took him. The alpha pack.” He said. “It’s all my fault. I couldn’t stop him. They took him.” He didn’t look at any one when he said it, only the ground. Sobs shook his shoulders and Derek guided him into a chair. 

Peeking up at Baylee, Derek found she’d frozen where she stood. A hard violence had found its way into her eyes, and the malice in her voice made him shiver when she spoke. 

“I’ll find them and I will kill them.” She said, before turning on her heel and storming out of the kitchen. Hunter Baylee had made her appearance. 

Derek had been kneeling in front of the still sobbing Stiles, but he stood up now, pulling the boy close. “You need to tell me everything.” He said. “Right now.” Stiles nodded, and started talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No worries, Chapters 8 and 9 get rather exciting.


	8. Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baylee's last name is Huntsman. I suppose there is a reason for that, don't you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that I have THE WORST posting schedule. I get pretty lucky to remember a chapter every day. Anyway, hope you like it ! Ch 8 and 9 are action, but 10 and 11 go back to the Sterek dynamic. So be prepared!

An hour later, Baylee had changed into sleek black jeans, and a gray V-neck t-shirt. Her white-blonde hair had been swept into a braid but tendrils had escaped here and there, curling around her face and doing nothing to lessen the intimidating vibe she now radiated. She’d begun digging in a box labeled “Baylee Huntsman” and Chris Argent was standing in the living room. 

“Was it really necessary to call him?” Derek asked after Baylee was done questioning the both of them. She pulled out a pair of leather boots and a jacket similar to Derek’s before answering. 

“He’s a family friend.” She said slipping into the tight leather jacket. She zipped it up halfway and patted the pockets. Bullets rattled and she looked satisfied. She tossed a pistol across the room at her fellow hunter and sat down on the couch to put on her boots. 

“Hey Derek.” Chris said suddenly, turning to him. “How’d you manage to get mixed up with TWO hunter girls in your short life?” Derek looked shocked and then shrugged. This was a question that Stiles’ had wondered on more than one occasion but was too afraid to ask. “And to answer your question,” he continued, “We follow a code, at least I do” he added quickly when Stiles gave him a ‘I think not’ look, “and so Allison is at home, she’s still figuring things out, and werewolf or not kidnapping children is out of line. These people have a crossed a line.” 

Derek nodded understanding, as the rest of the pack barreled into the apartment. Chris gave them the same simple speech before Baylee stood up. She was a good six inches taller than her normal five foot four inch frame. Stiles’ eyes dropped to her feet. Her leather boots reached her knees and a clean steel buckle decorated the outside ankle. The bottom sole was a dark red and glancing up at her face, he realized her lips were the same color. Her eyes were heavily lined and she looked terrifying. If he was being honest she was beautiful. But mostly terrifying. 

“How do you do anything in those?” Scott blurted from the doorway. The others had noticed her boots as well. Chris and Derek chuckled. 

“Huntsman women trademark.” Chris said. “Look closer.” Baylee stood still for a moment and they all studied her boots. They all seemed to realize it at the same time. The six inch stiletto was shiny silver, and lined with small spikes that pointed up; the kind that went in smooth, but tore flesh when ripped out. 

“Part of the reason I was so good in the club.” Baylee explained. “I’ve been trained since I could walk to wear these things. My Grandmother invented them. Of course, we’ve made them a bit more stylish.” She chuckled darkly, reaching down to swipe dust from the smooth leather. He hands were covered in black leather gloves with rubber grip dots on the fingers. Stiles was heavily impressed. 

“Huntsman family hunters are the best there are.” Chris said. “Men are soldiers, the women: cold blooded killers. They’re all exceptional leaders, and possess skills most could only dream of. They’re trained to not only use weapons like arrows, guns, and wolfsbane, but their bodies as well. Baylee is a walking weapon. She’s a killer.” 

“Oh stop. I’m blushing.” Baylee smiled sweetly, but no one could get past the terrifying part of her they’d been shown. She picked a black duffel bag up from the floor and ushered them all out the door. She jogged down the stairs and across the parking lot to the Camaro. Scott was still impressed she could even stand in those things. “Here’s the plan.” She said after they’d all gathered around her. “We’re gonna-” The police cruiser pulled in the parking lot before she could finish. 

“That’s my fault.” Derek said when the Sherriff got out. He turned to the Sherriff saying “We need you to be on guard tonight. Anyone who looks suspicious at all, take them in. Got it.?” The Sherriff nodded, and stepped around Derek to hug Stiles. 

“Be careful.” He whispered. He knew he could never stop his son, and he only hoped that he could come back in one piece, as he had all those times the Sherriff had known nothing. “That goes for the rest of you too.” He warned, pointing to the rest of them. He climbed back in the cruiser and sped out of the lot. 

“Stiles, you and Derek in the Jeep.” Baylee didn’t miss a beat before handing out orders. “Isaac and I will take the Camaro. Scott you’re in the Jeep and Erica and Boyd go with Chris in his Range Rover. They said they were holding Brendan in an old warehouse about half hour outside of town. Drive fast; we’ll get there in fifteen.” She threw the duffel bag in the back seat of the Camaro, before turning to Stiles. “You’re sure that’s what he said?” Stiles nodded. That memory would forever be burned into his mind. 

“He said he wanted a fight.” He tried to keep his voice from shaking. 

“He wants a fight, well now he’s got one. He ain’t seen me crazy yet.” Baylee’s heels clicked as she strode around the car and opened the door. Stiles remembered those words from a Miranda Lambert song that he kept on his iPod as a reminder that women could be scary as hell. 

“I’m gonna show him what little girls are made of, gunpowder and lead.” Stiles sang under his breath as he climbed in the passenger side of his Jeep. 

“Miranda Lambert.” Baylee said her smile intimidating. “Damn straight.” She climbed in the Camaro and peeled out of the parking lot. The Jeep and the Range Rover followed her receding taillights. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baylee pulled the Camaro off the road about a quarter mile from the warehouse. It was so weird to see anyone else behind the wheel. When it wasn’t Derek, it just seemed odd. 

“We’re gonna walk from here.” She said gesturing to the woods. “We’re not just gonna storm in there, we don’t know what kind of traps or weaponry they have set up.” He looked at Derek like this mini-speech was just for him. She pulled a semi-automatic assault rifle out of the duffel bag and shouldered it. She handed Stiles a shot gun. “You good with that?” She asked. Stiles nodded. His Dad had been teaching him to shoot since he was old enough to point the gun. “Chris brought his own stuff, and the rest of you are basically walking weapons, but I have stuff for you, too.” 

Boyd was given a baseball bat, but was warned to stay away from the spikes that stuck from the end. They were infused with wolfsbane. Erica, Scott and Isaac were given daggers whose tips were purple with the deadly plant. Baylee showed a few hand signals to Derek, and he nodded. 

“Let’s go.” She said, leading the pack into the woods. Stiles was already scared. Derek took the hand that wasn’t holding a gun and held it. He could feel Stiles’ heartbeat through the thin skin on his wrist. He knew that he wanted to fins Brendan just as much as anyone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baylee came to an abrupt stop at the edge of the woods. She stared out at the old warehouse and took in a deep breath, almost like she was sniffing the air. 

“They’ve got wolfsbane weapons as well.” She said after a moment. 

“And tripwires.” Chris added. The pack gulped collectively. Baylee gave a motion for them to advance, and they did. Scared or not, they were going to be fearless. 

They advanced across the grassless ground nearly soundlessly, but that didn’t stop the alpha pack from noticing them. 

A short man was leading the pack across the open land, and stopped with about ten feet still to go before he reached Baylee. 

“You came.” He said. His voice was higher than Stiles would have imagined, but dark at the same time. 

“You have my son.” Baylee said it with no emotion; flat. 

“But of course.” The man steepled his fingers in front of his face. “We need him. And we’re not giving him up without a fight.” At those words, a blur shot out of the woods and tackled Baylee, rolling them both across the dirt. Baylee came out on top. One knee was pushed into the dirty werewolf’s chest, the other foot was inches from his right eye and you could see him eyeing the scary heel. Her rifle was pointed to his head. Although he could have overthrown her, he chose not to. Stiles figured it was because of the look in her eyes. It was cold murder, and all business. 

All the werewolves had gone into defensive stances, their weapons and fangs bared. Stiles had raised the shot gun to his shoulder without realizing it. Baylee shot the werewolf between the eyes with a pistol she’d pulled from her coat pocket and stood up. 

“What now?” She asked the short man, venom dripping from her voice, a small terrifying smile in her lips. The man smiled menacingly, and laughed as all hell broke loose.


	9. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epic. Fighty. Brave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the title suggests, this is the fight. It might not make sense now, but it will.

Werewolves flew at one another at all sides, and Boyd helped Stiles narrowly avoid a flying object. Handing him the baseball bat he took the shot gun. No words were needed. Stiles twirled the bat twice in his hand before swinging at the first object. One of the wolves had Derek pinned and the metal spikes connected with a sickening crunch in the opposing werewolves head. 

Derek had never seen Stiles’ eyes so dark before, he’d never seen this kind of…almost evil, seeping from his pores. For a moment, Derek was scared for Stiles, scared that something had turned in his brain that he wouldn’t be able to come back from. Until he realized that was the mark of an alpha, a human one. Stiles’ darkness was his alpha protecting his pack. Picking himself up off the ground he turned to grab Baylee, and ran toward the warehouse. 

Someone had set fire to the walls, and he wasn’t sure whether it had been his pack or the other one. He could hear Brendan calling for someone from inside the flames. He didn’t sound panicked or hurt and Derek looked at Baylee, knowing that she’d been raised as a hunter, raised to stay calm. Of course she would instill those same things in her son. What caught him off guard was the name that he kept hearing. 

His son was calling “Stiles” over and over. But not like he wanted him, like he’d already found him. Derek was sure he’d just seen Stiles, but he couldn’t tell if that had been a minute ago, or an hour ago. Time seemed unknown. 

A sudden burst of wind carried the scent of smoke and burning chemicals to Derek’s nose. Another smell lingered below, the smell of fear, the smell of a captured Stiles. 

Baylee wasted no time in rushing into the burning warehouse and Derek followed. They found a pathway between the flames that led them straight to Brendan, almost like it was meant to be there. 

“Well well well.” The short man chuckled a little at Derek and Baylee. “Look what we have here.” His foot was pressing down on Stiles chest, and his face was a deep red. “Look who came looking.” The man pulled his foot from Stiles chest and took a step toward Derek and Baylee. The gasps coming from Stiles sounded painful even to Baylee’s human hearing. As soon as the man stepped away Brendan had crawled over Stiles, his fangs bared and as menacing a growl as the four year old could muster coming from between them. “I never formally introduced myself.” The short man held his hand out to Derek, but of course, no one touched. “How rude.” He didn’t look offended. 

“What do you want?” Derek growled, stealing glances at Stiles and Brendan. The man ignored his question. 

“My name is Luther. And I’m evil.” He cocked his head to the side at the last words and laughed again. Baylee was getting really sick of it. “And I needed Brendan because, well, I don’t have a son and I desperately wanted one.” Luther’s eyes were wide and red, his fangs had peeked from behind his lips, and claws had begun to grow. “I’m kidding.” He stated when no one spoke. “I really just wanted to kill you all.” 

Derek jumped across the room at him, slashing and tearing at flesh. Baylee ran for Stiles and Brendan. Pulling them from the floor she yelled at them to run, but they never got the chance. The burning ceiling collapsed on them all sending a mushroom cloud of smoke, dirt and ash into the sky. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Stiles woke the world seemed eerily quiet. Brendan was clutching at his t-shirt desperately trying to wake him up, and looking relieved when he noticed his eyes open. Brendan pointed silently to somewhere on Stiles left side, and he turned his head to look. Derek was pinned under a piece of the fallen ceiling, barely moving, and Luther was poised above him with claws out. Baylee was nowhere to be seen. 

The surge of adrenaline was like nothing Stiles had ever felt before. He didn’t remember where the piece of steel pipe had come from and he didn’t remember jumping up from the floor and he didn’t remember crossing the few steps to where Luther was standing over Derek. He did remember the sound the pipe made as it connected with Luther’s skull and the look on his face as his eyes flashed from alpha red to human green. His brown hair darkened with blood as he fell to the ground. 

He could see Brendan digging in the rubble. The child finally looked scared and that concerned Stiles. Derek army crawled over to his son and Stiles followed. A petite, white hand peeked out from where Brendan was digging. The nails were painted a perfect shade of blue. Baylee’s shade of blue. 

The sounds of fighting had ended, but Derek was unaware as to whether they’d won or lost. The whole fight had gone too fast, just a blur, and he couldn’t help but think that this was just another trap. Like the pack was toying with them. Throwing rubble off of Baylee he couldn’t stop his mind was racing. Was this just a game they were playing? Did Luther really want them all dead? If this was some sort of game what was the prize? Why were they toying with them? The same questions seemed to flood his mind over and over as he wrapped a broken looking Baylee in his arms. Stiles had picked up Brendan and the child was hiding his face in his shoulder. Smoke still hung like fog around the slightly burning warehouse and when the smell hit Derek this time, so did panic. 

Fire. There had been fire everywhere and people were hurt now and he’d led them into it and Stiles had had to fight. Lights were popping behind his eyes and he stood shakily, still holding onto Baylee. She was breathing, and her pulse was barely there beneath her skin. He could feel the panic evident on his face but couldn’t hide it. It had consumed him. He couldn’t stand any longer, and sank to his knees again. Looking up at Stiles, he tried to apologies with his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it worked. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boyd, Isaac, Sherriff Stilinski, and Chris Argent were sitting around the kitchen table talking strategy and tactics. Scott was on the floor with Brendan and his Legos, and Baylee was asleep in the couch, still recovering. It had been a week since the fight, but so far, no one had really talked about it. Derek and Stiles were out on the balcony with sliding glass door closed, so that the pack could at least pretend not to hear them. 

For the moment, they just looked at each other. Neither of them had talked to Stiles’ Dad about the bedroom incident yet, and they knew they needed to. Right now, though, what had happened last week was the real issue. 

“Is that all that happened?” Derek asked Stiles, willing himself not to reach out and run a hand down Stiles’ cheek to comfort him. Stiles nodded. His mind flashed back to Luther grabbing him, Luther telling him that he wanted to capture alpha mates, pack members, anyone to draw the alphas out of hiding. That he wanted to kill them so that he could have the territory. He wanted it all. And then the fire. The hot, hot fire. Brendan had been screaming until Stiles told him to calm down. 

“You have to be brave, Brendan. Brave.” He’d said, over and over again. That was before Luther had pinned him to the ground and Derek and Baylee had come to his rescue. He’d almost lost everything. Almost. 

“Are you okay?” Derek asked, pulling Stiles from reliving the nightmare. Stiles nodded, but his eyes betrayed him. They were scared. He threw his arms around Derek’s chest and he knew his Dad was watching but he didn’t care. Derek settled his arms over his shoulders and kissed his head. They would figure this out and they would keep everyone safe, and together they would lead the pack. As long as they had each other, they would be fine. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stiles woke the next morning alone, in his bed. Derek had gone last night to do rounds around the town, something that the pack had taken up doing since the first night after the fight. Derek still felt like the alphas were toying with him, and he felt better being suspicious. 

A light knock on the door pulled Stiles from what he’d been doing; avoiding the sun by keeping his head underneath pillow for as long as he could. He told his Dad to go away, but of course that didn’t matter. 

“I just wanted to talk.” Mr. Stilinski said, standing next to the bed. Stiles pulled the pillow off of his head enough to be able to see his Dad. 

“About what?” Stiles asked, though he could probably guess. The Sherriff gave him the ‘you already know what’ look. 

“Now that you’re out of mortal peril I think that you, Derek and I need to have a talk.” Stiles groaned. 

“Okay so what if I told you we’re meant to be?” Stiles asked, knowing his Dad wouldn’t really believe it. 

“Everyone thinks that when they're young, Stiles.” 

“Alpha werewolves have mates, and I’m Derek’s and I love him but I’m not sure how I feel about that because up until recently I wasn’t even sure I liked boys okay now you know so leave.” Stiles said all of this very fast. His Dad shook his head. 

“Wait, what?” He asked, even though Stiles knew he’d heard the whole thing. 

“You heard me.” Stiles knew the defiance wasn’t going to get him anywhere and was surprised when it did. 

“I’ll try to pretend I didn’t. Anway, dinner, tonight. Both of you.” With that, his Dad shut the door and left. Stiles groaned, rolled over and pulled out his phone to text Derek. His life was a constant flip-flop between mortal peril and confusion over his love life. He pushed his face back under the pillow and groaned again. This whole “teenager” thing was hard.  
He vaguely wondered how the kids in movies and TV shows seemed to have such an easy grasp of real life and paranormal before he slipped into sleep again.


	10. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward family meets the boyfriend dinners. It's a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter. You don't get another one until Sunday night. I have bunches of stuff to do this weekend.

The next day passed in the blur that only happens when you’re dreading something. Bringing his werewolf boyfriend (who his Dad had only JUST learned about) over for dinner was going to be torture. Derek seemed weirdly okay with it, though and that worried Stiles almost as much. 

Derek actually using his front door that night was weird. His Dad and Derek shaking hands, even weirder. Stiles feeling like he’d suddenly become some prized daughter who was being traded for goats was the weirdest. Stiles had never really given much thought to who most would see as the feminine half of the relationship but he realized with a jolt that it was probably him. He was smaller, breakable looking, and Derek obviously protected him. What most people didn’t know was that all the nights after Stiles made his decision Derek would climb in his window and lie down carefully next to Stiles. He would snake an arm around his waist and pull him close. Stiles would bury his face in Derek’s neck and listen to him talk. He would listen until all the tension ran from Derek’s body 

“I’m right here.” Stiles would whisper. “I’m not leaving. I won’t go.” And plant a kiss on his shoulder, or collarbone, or wherever he could reach. Derek needed protection in a different way. He needed protection from himself. Stiles would wrap his fingers in Derek’s hair and whisper to him until the nightmares had subsided, and he knew that Derek would hold him close through the ones Stiles suffered. It was a two way street. 

Derek’s presence in his house had become fairly normal, just never when his Dad was here. And definitely not when his Dad knew that Derek was actually a very dangerous supernatural creature and had been sneaking into his son’s bedroom for the past few weeks. Stiles smiled nervously at his Dad when they’d all been seated around the table. 

“I made lasagna.” He started talking immediately. It was a nervous habit, the famous Stiles Babble. “It was my Mom’s recipe and normally I don’t make it because I try to keep Dad on a diet but I thought tonight I would-” Sherriff Stilinski smiled at his forever babbling son. 

“Ssshhh.” He shushed. “I put my gun in the closet upstairs where it goes. I only have a tiny one down here, we’re all safe.” He shot a slight warning look at Derek, and Derek humored him. They both knew a bullet wasn’t going to stop him at all. The Sherriff smiled then, and he and Derek laughed. Stiles stared at both of them darkly and stuffed his mouth full of noodles and tomato sauce again. He mostly hated how his Dad and Derek were just making small talk about sports and his Dad’s work and Baylee and Brendan without even knowing that this was the most nerve-wracking night of Stiles’ life ever. 

After the dinner dishes had been cleared away and Mr. Stilinski had offered Derek a beer but he’d refused, since he felt it wouldn’t really be fair to Stiles. His Dad had laughed a little at that. Then, he got down to business. 

“So Baylee tells me you two met in New York. That you worked together.” Derek’s eyes went wide, and Stiles sank down in his chair. He rested his foot on top of Derek’s under the table. Derek reciprocated my pushing his feet together, to acknowledge the presence of Stiles’. Derek took a deep breath, and seemed to just then decide to go with the truth. 

Stiles cringed when the words came out. 

“We did. Yeah, um. Laura and I we moved up there after….well after everything and she got a job in a restaurant. And well, I was young and so I ended up in a club and met Baylee when she joined up. We became pretty fast friends.” No confession yet. 

“A club?” The Sherriff’s eyebrows could have hit the ceiling. 

“Dad, he was a stripper.” Stiles blurted it before he knew what he’d done. He couldn’t stand the tension that had been building. He needed to end it. The Sherriff choked on his beer a bit and Stiles thought he saw Derek subtly move his chair further away from the older man. 

“And you met Baylee and had a son…” Mr. Stilinski was clearly choosing to ignore the new piece of information. 

“Yes,” Derek started. “I guess we were just young and stupid. I uh, told her about my um, revelation about myself after I found out she was pregnant. I thought it was best to just go ahead and tell her.” 

“And she took it well?” 

“Yes.” Derek said again, formal. “She knew I’d be there. I wasn’t going to leave.” 

“But you did, eventually.” 

“I had to. Laura was missing. And then I found out she was dead, and then jail, and then everything else. I couldn’t bring her into that.” Derek finished, looking almost like he regretted saying it. This was more than he’d said to one person other than Stiles (and only recently) the whole time he had known him. 

So then what would that make Stiles, to Brendan?” Stiles knew this question was coming and was well prepared. 

“Wolves don’t have the stepdad dynamic the way humans do.” Stiles said. He could feel Derek’s eyes on him and a pressure on his foot where Derek toes were pushing. “He will see me as pack, but not as ‘dad.’ I told you, Dad, the mate bond makes things different.” 

“I realize that the town won’t see it that way.” Derek added, leaning forward in his chair. “And we are perfectly willing to wait until Stiles is old enough to go public about this. Stiles’ Dad nodded and looked between the both of them. 

“Mate bond?” he asked and Stiles felt the hot embarrassment creep across his skin. He looked at Derek as if to say ‘you take it’ and looked back to the table. Derek explained the mate bond the best he could, without sounding creepy. “So in other words, I’m stuck with you for a while.” He looked at Derek when he said this. Derek nodded. “Well, I guess it could be worse.” He smiled at Stiles, and Stiles smiled back, knowing that somehow, this was all going to be okay. 

The Sherriff set some basic ground rules. Because he was the Dad and that’s what Dads did when their sons started dating hot werewolf men: Rules. There would be no window sneaking. Derek was welcome whenever, but he had to use the front door. He made them promise to be SAFE and he didn’t give any implications as to what that meant, but judging by the pure panic on Stiles face he was guessing they understood. With that, he let them be to do whatever it was they did (he didn’t really want the visual) and left to start his night shift. 

As soon as his Dad was gone, Stiles was across the table and in Derek’s lap. Derek smiled into his neck and Stiles rested his chin on his head. They were both surprised at how well that had gone. They both also knew that the only reason it had gone so well is because Stiles’ Dad knew he couldn’t stop him. His son was stubborn, and he’d long ago turned to monitoring instead of just saying no. Stiles never really got into serious legal trouble. 

Derek arms were around Stiles and they were humming happily. This was the best part, just being. 

“I have alpha things to do.” Derek said suddenly, pulling away. Stiles frowned but didn’t protest. He knew Derek had to go. “I love you.” 

The words hit Stiles right in his ribcage, and for a moment he felt like all the oxygen in the world had been turned to helium. He was ten feet off the ground and still rising. 

“I love you too.” He said with a whoosh of air and a smile. He slid off Derek’s lap and brushed his lips across his forehead before turning to the stairs. “My Dad doesn’t have to know that you sneak in my window, you know.” Stiles raised an eyebrow and he realized that this was probably the closest he’d ever get to being seductive. But Derek shook his head. 

“Yes, he does.” Derek said. “I told him that he could trust me, and I broke that already by being with you. I’ve earned a little bit of that back somehow and I can’t lose it again. Or I might lose you.” The last sentence was almost an afterthought and Derek looked so vulnerable in the fluorescent lights of his kitchen, so broken. He stood then, put on a serious face, and left without another word. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How’d dinner go?” Scott asked Stiles on the phone that night. “Awkward hell?” 

“Not really.” Stiles answered, picking at his sheets. “I mean, not until my Dad basically told us to use condoms and then Derek turned down my offer. But hey, whatever.” Stiles could almost hear Scott thinking of something to say. “You don’t have to say anything.” He said after a minute. “That was too much information.” 

“After everything I told you about Allison, it’s completely allowed.” Scott laughed. 

“How’s THAT going?” Stiles asked, wanting to change the subject. He was so insecure about all of this still. 

“Okay I guess.” Scott answered. “I mean, she’s still freaky hunter Allison but sometimes it changes. Like she’s normal. It will take time.” Stiles nodded before he remembered that Scott couldn’t see him. 

“Yeah.” He said. “Wait for her, dude. She’s worth it.” 

“Don’t be so insecure Stiles.” Scott hadn’t spoken for a moment and the sudden words startled Stiles. “Derek will be worth the wait, too.” Stiles swallowed as Scott said goodbye and hung up. He didn’t really know what to say to that. 

Rolling over he stared out the window. Somewhere out there his werewolf was running. Running to protect him. Running to protect the pack. Running to protect his family. He read the goodnight text from Derek again and smiled to no one. 

‘Goodnight.’ It read. ‘I love you.’


	11. Lover’s Quarrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love is language, and everyone speaks it differently.

Stiles was angrier than he’d been in a long time. Maybe ever. It was two weeks after the awkward dinner and his Dad was working, so he’d called up Derek who’d shown up at his door step. 

At first, they’d been fine. The couch was the perfect make-out spot and Derek put up with all of Stiles’ wild, twitchy, awkward, teenage tendencies and Stiles tried to be patient because he knew Derek wanted to enjoy every second and not rush in like Stiles did. 

Derek was holding his shirt in his hands at the bottom of the stairs and Stiles was poised at the top with his hands on his hips. He knew it was the ultimate bitchy female pose but at the moment that’s exactly what he felt like. Recently, he’d come to terms with the fact that the pack seemed to look at him like the female alpha. If you couldn’t beat’em, join’em. He had, however, put a stop to their name-calling. ‘Mamawolf’ was not funny and Stiles hadn’t realized how potent his alpha stare could be until it had caused Erica had burst into tears and Boyd had fallen to his knees and hid his face. He’d made an apologizing face after, but Derek had said to never do that or else they wouldn’t take him seriously. 

Right now, though, Stiles alpha glare was only succeeding in making Derek angrier. 

“I’m not her, okay?” Stiles yelled from the top of the stairs. “I’m not Kate! I’m not going to do what she did!” Derek stared up at him with big eyes. 

“I know that, Stiles.” His voice was scary calm, not actual calm. He was over enunciating everything. “But now is not the time.” 

“You mean now isn’t the time because you’re afraid of getting close to anyone? Because you can’t open up to me? That’s it, isn’t it?” Stiles was moving more and more into bitchy female territory by the word, but he couldn’t help it. At this moment, he didn’t really care. 

“Stiles,” Derek spoke through clenched teeth. “I know what you’re feeling-”

“No, you don’t.” Stiles stopped him. Neither of them noticed the Sherriff coming in the back door, and neither of them saw him stop in the kitchen, just out of view of the fight. He didn’t mean to listen, but they were loud. “You don’t know anything about how it feels to be me. Human. Helpless. YOU were never human Derek. You don’t know. Can’t you get that through you thick head? Okay, I LOVE YOU but I can’t take it.” Stiles stopped to take a breath. One hand fluttered to his forehead like he had a headache. Suddenly angry, he shot his hand out at a picture on the wall, flinging it down the stairs. The Sherriff had long ago taken all the glass out of the frames and replaced them with flexible plastic. Stiles was clumsy, he didn’t need broken glass to help him out with his various injuries. Derek didn’t flinch, but looked hurt at Stiles’ sudden show of aggression. 

“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Derek’s jaw was so tight he thought he might break his teeth. Stiles knew that he meant alone for more than the night. 

“I want you to understand that I won’t hurt you like she did, Derek.” Stiles continued. 

“I won’t have sex with you.” Derek deadpanned. He was tired of beating around the bush with the whole argument. In the end, this was the fight. Stiles was taken aback, and the Sherriff held his breath in the kitchen. 

“If that’s what you think this is about then you’re wrong.” Derek could hear the lie in the boy’s voice, in the beating of his heart. “You talk to me, but you don’t say anything, Derek. Maybe words aren’t your thing, but they’re mine. I touch you because YOU like it, not for my benefit.” He paused, and a serious look came over his face. “If my words were a meadow it would go on forever. My words would fill the sky. One ‘I love you’ is a drop in the ocean of how I feel.” Stiles had descended a few steps toward Derek. The Sherriff was still holding his breath. He was surprised that Derek hadn’t noticed him. Maybe he had, and was just too preoccupied to care. He didn’t realize he had tears in his eyes until Stiles continued. “I’d paint you a picture using every word in my vocabulary but the most colorful would be your name. I love you.” 

That whole spiel had been Stiles’ Mom’s wedding vows. Stiles had watched the wedding video over and over after she’d died. The Sherriff hadn’t realized that Stiles had maybe memorized them, but of course he had. Mr. Stilinski sniffed and Derek’s head snapped to look in his direction but saw no one. Maybe Derek hadn’t realized he’d been here but now his senses were on hyper-drive. Stiles was still staring at him when Derek looked back. 

“When you figure out how to tell me you love me with more than your words, you can come home. Touch isn’t my love language, but it’s yours and you need to rediscover it.” Stiles said, and turned to go back up the stairs. Derek didn’t go after him; he only stood there a moment, before turning on his heel and heading out the front door. The Sherriff felt like he’d just seen something intensely personal; something that hadn’t been meant for outside eyes. He blinked the remaining tears away and took a beer from the fridge. He cracked it open and sank down in a chair at the kitchen table. He’d talk to Stiles in the morning. Right now probably wasn’t the time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stiles felt like a complete ass. They’d been in the middle of a perfectly good make out session when he’d slipped Derek’s shirt off, and then it had escalated. Derek had this weird phobia of being close physically. He could cuddle, and he’d kiss every inch of Stiles’ exposed skin. He’d say I love you, but he couldn’t show it. 

Stiles was not an affectionate person. Touch was not his thing. His skin was over sensitive as it was, with all the meds and the ADHD, so he didn’t need anyone else to help out with the weird tickles and twinges he got. But he’d wanted Derek then, like Derek’s warm fingers were the only one that could touch him without causing the same spit-fire annoyance that other people’s touch elicited. 

But Derek had refused. Stiles had snapped then. He was so fed up with Derek’s up and downs. Sometimes he acted like he wanted it and refused, and sometimes he acted like he didn’t want it but his body said otherwise. He’d push Stiles away, whichever one it was, and tell him no. All of it made Stiles feel so insanely insecure. He was a teenager, and had no experience, and he was scared. It was like Derek didn’t want to waste his time on him. And that hurt. I guess tonight he’d just reached the end of his rope. 

Sure, reciting his Mom’s wedding vows had been a bit overkill but that’s how he communicated. Words. That’s the only way he knew how. He’d meant every one of them he’d said to Derek, too. Every one. And he hoped Derek knew it. He didn’t know what to donow at all. He crashed back on his pillow, finally letting the tears come. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Derek didn’t go back to the apartment. Bailey didn’t need to see him like this. Brendan didn’t need to see him like this. The pack didn’t need to see him like this. He crashed through the hallways of his burnt house, tearing at the walls and throwing things. He hated how the house reminded him of HER, of Kate, and not of the family he’d once had. He hated how every time Stiles ran a hand down his back he thought of her, he hated that he remembered her at all. 

Stiles was right. Touch. That’s how he communicated. He could take pain away with all the werewolf magic but it was more than that. He typically avoided touching people because it was personal. It was like they were giving him a free pass into their personal space when he touched them and it made him uncomfortable. 

It didn’t used to. He used to run his hands through Kate’s hair, down her back, across her thighs. He’d had these flashbacks in that one night he’d shared with Baylee but he would never tell her. He’d never tell her that it was Kate’s name on his lips when he kissed her; even after all Kate done to him. All the pain. 

And Stiles was gifted with words. He truly was. Derek had seen some of the stuff that he’d written all those late nights after traumatic happenings. Stiles would stay up late and just type and type and type and Derek would leave him be because he’d thought it was some sort of coping mechanism. But it was more than that. Stiles talked. He had more words than his mouth had use for so he put them to other use. A beautiful use. 

He roared in anger and punched the wall, leaving a large hole. His knuckles were bloody but not scratched and for once he wished he didn’t heal instantly. He wanted to feel some kind of pain; he wanted to feel some inkling of what he knew Stiles had felt on those stairs when he’d said all those things about Derek not knowing. His whole family had been killed in a fire and he’d never fully dealt with it. He thought he’d healed all the pain like his wolf healed all the injuries. But he’d just put it elsewhere, buried it. He’d buried the pain of Kate, as well, and that had landed him with a son. 

Derek took a deep breath and held it for a minute. He needed to let go. He needed to tell Stiles things more than just what had happened that day. He needed Stiles to know him. He needed Stiles to touch him and he needed to be able to reach out a hand back, and enjoy it. He knew what he needed. Sliding down the wall he hit the floor and stayed there. He hadn’t cried in years, maybe, but tonight he let the tears come. Maybe that was the first step to rediscovering his love language.


	12. Tooth and Nail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They'll fight tooth and nail for what they love.

Derek’s pity party hadn’t lasted long. He’d shed some tears and picked himself up and realized that he treated Stiles terribly even though that boy made it seem like the sun was shining out of Derek’s ass. He needed to get his life together. 

“Earth to Derek.” Baylee had been trying to get his attention for the past five minutes. “What is wrong with you?” she asked, running a hand over Brendan’s hair as he clutched her legs and begged for pancakes. Baylee finished stirring the batter and detached her son from her leg. “Go sit with Daddy.” She said, shooing him to the other side of the small kitchen. Derek absentmindedly held his arms out to help Brendan climb into his lap. His face still held that faraway look, and it concerned Baylee. “Stiles will be here soon. Are you gonna watch Brendan with him?” Derek looked up at that. 

“I should probably go.” Derek stood up and Brendan wrapped his arms around his neck, clinging to him with his legs.

“No.” he said, adamant. “Stay, Daddy.” 

“Daddy can’t, okay?” Derek could see the heartbreak in his young son’s eyes. Eyes that looked just like his, and probably mirrored similar feelings as well. Baylee was looking at him like she expected an explanation. “We have some things to work out.” Derek said simply. 

“That would explain why the pack has been so jumpy lately.” She said. “When the alpha’s fight they can feel it. You better figure it out.” She shot a warning glance at him as he grabbed his things and exited the apartment. His Camaro pulled out just as Stiles Jeep pulled in. Baylee hoped they’d seen each other.

“Stiiiiiiiilllllleeeesss” Brendan still sounded upset, and Stiles could tell as he scooped the boy up in one arm and flipped pancakes with another. 

“Thank you so much!” Baylee said, kissing both boys on the cheek before heading for the door. She was already running behind and she felt bad if she left the Sherriff hanging for too long without a secretary. “Oh, and figure things out with Derek.” It was almost an afterthought but Stiles knew that it held a lot more meaning. 

After pancakes and too much maple syrup Brendan was ready to go. Stiles loaded the dishwasher and cleaned the boy up. Not that it helped much. He was four. Four year olds were always sticky. 

“Why don’t we say our alphabet?” Stiles suggested while trying to pull a clean shirt over Brendan’s head. He tickled his tummy with his fingers and listened to the tinkling, innocent laugh. “Cmon, buddy. A B C D..” He started for him. 

“E F G H I J K ELEMENO P Q R S” Brendan got stuck and looked to Stiles for help. He made the sign language symbol for T and Brendan continued his singing. They’d decided to teach him American Sign Language with his alphabet because Baylee had grown up knowing it. It had been part of her hunter training, but she still felt it important to teach Brendan these things. He was growing up in a dangerous world and Baylee had no idea what his future held. “T U V W X Y AND Z.” Brendan smiled wide when he finished. 

“That was amazing!” Stiles gave him a high-five and grabbed his hand. “Why don’t we go play outside and you can count for me?” Brendan counted brokenly and without pattern. But hey, he knew the alphabet and you took what you could get with him. He was stubborn. Like Derek. 

They played catch for a while, and then jump rope, and then went on the slide, and swings, and jungle gym. And then Stiles became the jungle gym. The sun was shining and for the moment, things were okay. 

Derek’s familiar sleek car pulled back in the driveway and he was sure that it was on purpose that he’d shown up so early. Brendan had been inspecting a clump of dirt and Stiles had just begun to walk over to him. Bending down to poke at the dirt with him a shiver of fear ran down his spine, and it had nothing to do with the hulking shape that stood behind him now. 

A werewolf claw was nestled in the ground, and judging by the look on Brendan’s face it wasn’t a scent he recognized. Derek seemed to register the same thing as the words ‘we need to talk’ spilled out of his mouth. Before anyone could say anything, they were all moving. 

Derek had yanked Stiles to his feet, holding tight to his upper arm, and Brendan had climbed Derek’s side and clutched on. Derek marched them all across the yard and back into the house. Derek’s hand didn’t leave Stiles waist all the way up the stairs and into the front door. He was pulling him tight to his side, and his fingers dug in a little, but only one finger at a time like he was drumming a desk but it was Stiles’ side. He sat Brendan down on the couch and turned the TV on to Spongebob. Apparently he knew as well as Stiles did that it was his favorite show. 

“What the hell is going on?” Stiles asked when he couldn’t stand Derek’s brooding silence anymore. Derek looked at him, still not saying anything. He took a step forward, and rested his hands on Stiles shoulders and let them fall down. Rough skin smoothing across his silky skin and he shivered a little. His overdoses of Adderall coupled with the constant anxiousness made his skin oversensitive. He was pretty sure that it was all psychological, but he couldn’t stop it. Derek’s hands cupped his elbows and pulled gently causing him to uncross his hands from across his chest.

Stiles hands now rest on Derek’s hips. Derek let his thumbs run over Stiles’ cheekbones for saying anything. 

“They’re here.” He said, and Stiles knew what he meant. His eyes flashed to Brendan and worry mixed with the warm brown. “Nothing is going to happen. I won’t let it.” He pulled Stiles close, letting his hands fall down his slender back and run over his hair. 

Stiles rubbed circles with his fingers on Derek’s lower back, supporting rather a lot of his weight. He didn’t mind. 

“And I’m sorry.” Derek whispered in his ear. “I love you. Does this prove it?” He kissed Stiles then, letting the moment sink in, and pulling Stiles hands up around his broad shoulders. “Just please, don’t be scared. I will fight tooth and nail for you. For the pack. For family.” Stiles nodded against Derek’s chest. They both knew that there was more to talk about, but at the moment they were content to be together, here. Safe. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baylee paced the kitchen nervously after her shift that night. Brendan had been coaxed into bed, and both Stiles and Derek remained in the house with her. 

“What do they want?” She asked again. Stiles answered her. 

“Like I said weird world domination stuff.” He shrugged. “They want Beacon Hills.” 

“Well they can’t have it.” She stated, and it would have sounded silly if not for the hate in her voice. 

“Just leave them be.” Derek added. “We won’t make a move until they do.” 

“Are you forgetting their last move?” She hissed. “We almost died. All of us. Collectively.” She was staring at Derek now. He shrugged. 

“I don’t want to provoke them.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Stiles woke up sweating. He and Derek had squished onto the couch and sometime in the night Derek had thrown a blanket on him. The problem with that was that Derek didn’t know how hot he was. His skin was like a space heater. 

Stiles threw the blanket off and pressed himself closer to Derek who pulled his arms around Stiles. Their lips found one another and bodies shifted so that Stiles was completely on top. He sat back for a moment, running light fingers over Derek’s abs. Somehow, Derek always ended up shirtless, while Stiles remained in jeans and a t-shirt. Stiles folded in on himself, letting his head fall to Derek’s chest. His hands curled in between the two bodies and Derek’s hands ran up and down his sides. 

“I feel like there are things I need to say to you.” Derek said. His stubbly chin rubbed back and forth across the top of Stiles head. “I don’t know how.” 

“You don’t have to say anything.” Stiles said. 

“I know you won’t do what Kate did.” Derek went on anyway. “I don’t know how to articulate anything else. I have all of this that I want to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Stiles repeated. “I understand. I will wait for you. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I will fight tooth and nail for you. For pack. For family.” Stiles stretched his legs out then, cuddling back down into Derek. 

The Sherriff entered then, and chose not to remark on Derek’s shirtlessness, although he could really appreciate why Stiles was so attracted to him. He made a remark about them making up, but he figured they were ignoring him. When he dared a peek over the back of the couch he realized they’d slipped back onto sleep and that Brendan (who must have come over to see Grandpa Stiles since that was what the pack had insisted on calling him) had cuddled down with them as well, sometime in the last few minutes. One of Derek’s hands was on the small of Stiles’ back and the other was keeping his own son from rolling off the couch. Although Stiles took up most of the room, both of the smaller boys seemed to be using Derek as a personal bed. 

Derek’s little unconscious growl when the Sherriff reached over the back of the couch to brush lint off of Stiles shirt made him smile. It was then that he realized that despite everything that was going on, they really were going to be alright. He might not agree with Stiles choice of men, but he’d accepted it for the sake of his son’s happiness. He might not like all the supernatural that happened around here and the constant idea of having everyone’s life threatened but he was coming to terms with this new existence. He didn’t know a lot of things for sure but he knew Stiles was happy. Underneath all the anxious, he knew that much. 

He also knew that he would fight tooth and nail for him. For his new pack. For his new family. Werewolves might not be ideal, but they were what they got. Frankly, the Sherriff only put on grumpy face because that was his job: responsible. 

Brendan shifted then, ever so slightly and both Derek and Stiles moved to accommodate him. Suddenly, the Sherriff had tears in his eyes. He’d never imagines Stiles with his own family. Not after his Mom died. He thought it would be too hard for Stiles to create something so easily broken. But here he’d done it without the least bit of effort. Stiles had his own family, and Mr. Stilinski knew that his time was up. He needed to step back, and let Stiles do Stiles. There was no fighting it. 

With that thought he retreated slowly up the stairs. His eyes still shine with tears and when he took out his phone he took a moment to wipe them away. He snapped a single picture of the family on the couch and continued up the stairs to get some sleep. If he had waited just a second more he could have seen Derek wake long enough to press a kiss to Stiles’ temple and ruffle Brendan’s hair a little. He would have seen Brendan cuddle closer into his Daddy and his Stiles and he would have seen the small smile that Stiles mouth curved into. 

Its moment like that, the ones no one sees, that makes a family truly a family. For they are not what they appear to be to others: Father, Son, and Boyfriend. They are not their definitions of themselves: Failing Protector, Baby-wolf, and Helpless Human. They are family. And they will fight tooth and nail to stay that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I definitely decided this is the last chapter BUT there is an epilogue. So that's coming in the next day or so. I have two new prompts to take care of on my Tumblr (insomniacswithcoffee.tumblr.com) (also I suggest you go there for more of my work and if you want to submit a prompt) and school work to do so I had to wrap this up.   
> And thirteen is my lucky number it just felt right.


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably really sucks. I am so sorry. School work has really made it hard to keep up with it and so I had to end it. I tried to tie up loose ends and make it cute (: 
> 
> If you want a personal Teen Wolf (or One Direction) imagine for a character or actor just let me know on my tumblr (insomniacswithcoffee.tumblr.com). Anon or not I'll write for you personally. Rules for that are pretty basic: Name, celeb/character/(optional) prompt. 
> 
> Thanks to all you lovely people for reading this and commenting. It's things like this that make me truly inspired to keep writing! You all have no idea what you've done for me. 
> 
> If you have any questions about the fic or anything I've written or just want to talk you can catch me on Tumblr. 
> 
> I love you!!

The years had passed in phases of fear, comfort, and (in some cases) sheer panic. But in the end, everyone came out okay, if not a little scarred inside and out. 

Allison gave up hunting. She felt that it just wasn’t a good thing for her. She turned to running to help her work through her aggression and joined the track team. Scott followed her when she got a scholarship to a fancy school in Southern California. But only after getting his grades back up and getting a scholarship to the same place. Of course she’d gone back to him after that. They were meant for each other. 

Erica and Boyd had gone to school together as well, but they’d gone opposite Scott and Allison. Boyd and Erica went to Oregon for school. They got an apartment together and were living pretty happily. They even adopted a dog. 

Isaac had stuck around town with Derek for a bit but eventually went his own way as well. That way was vet school, and he worked closely with Deaton, as an apprentice.   
Baylee was still working at the Sherriff’s office. She’d been unable to leave Beacon Hills after everything. And Mr. Stilinski liked her, so she stuck around when Stiles went to college. 

Stiles went to a local college, but far enough away that he rented an apartment there. Hos late birthday made him the oldest freshman, in most cases, but he didn’t mind. Derek often stayed with him, and occasionally brought Brendan to see him. College had only made Stiles and Derek closer, and for that everyone was grateful. 

The Sherriff passed away the summer after Stiles graduated college, and everyone had been heartbroken. Stiles put on a brave face, but 24 was too young to have both of your parents be gone. Brendan had turned twelve and everyone had come back to Beacon Hills for the party. 

The years had gone by, and everyone had grown up, but not grown apart. Skype calls, texts, and get-togethers were often, and none of them forgot what they’d been through. 

The alpha pack had turned on their dictator Luther, but only after two years of struggle for the Beacon Hills pack. It had been hell, but they’d kept going. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, the whole pack sat around a table in the back of the restaurant, and Baylee and Brendan came through the door, both smiling. They’d bought Brendan an acoustic guitar for his last birthday (thirteen was a big year, okay?) and he carried it everywhere. He’s become quite musical and his voice showed a lot of promise. Apparently, werewolf hearing meant perfect pitch for the young man. Stiles had heard Derek sing on more than one occasion. But it was just here and there and usually when they were alone in the house.

The pack laughed, and ate, and talked, and then went their separate ways. Baylee kissed Derek goodbye, screeched over Allison’s engagement ring one more time, as well as Erica’s now bulging stomach. They were having a baby girl. Isaac had found his own pretty little blonde but they were a year or two away from anything quite like this. Stiles and Derek had been together long enough, but Derek knew Stiles wanted something like his friends had. Just as everyone had stood up and got their coats on they just as abruptly sat back down. Stiles looked around, confused. 

“Um, what?” he said. Everyone was looking at him like they knew something he didn’t. Derek stood beside him, and touched his arm gently to get his attention. Derek lowered himself to one knee and raised a velvet box that held a simple silver ring. 

“Will you marry me?” Derek’s voice was a whisper, but the whole restaurant had gone quiet so it carried. Stiles swallowed hard and nodded before pulling Derek from the floor and into his arms. Stiles was crying now, out of happiness, a little bit of embarrassment, but also the realization that his father wouldn’t be there to watch his only son get married. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night Stiles laid in bed, alone for the moment, since Derek was in the shower. He was using one hand to spin the silver bad around and around on his finger. Derek had produced a similar band for himself as well, since Stiles had always been a little sensitive about society seeing him as the ‘girl.’ To remedy that, Derek decided they’d both wear engagement rings. Stiles thought it was wonderful. 

Derek came back to the bedroom wearing only boxers and flopped down on the bed next to Stiles. He ran his large fingers across Stiles’ bare chest and landed on his ring. 

“I love you.” He whispered. Even after all these years, he still looked at Stiles like he didn’t expect him to say it back. 

“I love you, too.” Stiles said, and laughed at the big grin that spread across Derek’s face. He sat up suddenly and Derek rolled off the bed, twisting so he landed on his feet. He stood over Stiles for a moment, looking at him, before stepping to the end of the bed and crawling towards him. Stiles smiled and slid his body down so that it fit neatly between Derek’s arms and legs. Derek nuzzled his face in Stiles’ neck. Lips found lips, and their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. 

The night air was cool as it blew in the window and it made Stiles shiver Derek just pulled him closer and let his tongue explore that younger man’s mouth. Stiles pushed himself closer to Derek and bathed in the thought that he would get to forever. 

Everything he’d ever thought he’d known about life had changed. There was never one moment that made it happen. It was a lot of little moments. A lot of moments that Stiles couldn’t even name if he wanted to. 

I guess the lesson I learned the most, he thought as Derek’s mouth tailed down his neck, is that what you thought you knew is usually wrong. What you thought you knew would be derailed and there was no stopping it. What you thought you knew…

His thoughts trailed off as Derek’s mouth trailed lower. 

That night Stiles and Derek talked about their wedding day with stars in their eyes and adopting children.

That night Scott and Allison knew that being together forever was the right decision and Allison agreed that maybe fate did exist because werewolves could.

That night Erica went into labor and Boyd held her hand as they started a pack of their own with a bouncing baby girl and named Derek the godfather.

That night Isaac told his girlfriend what he really was and she fell into his arms vowing never to leave even though she was scared. 

That night everything that they thought they knew was changed once again, just as it had been back in high school when the supernatural joined real life. 

That night what they thought they knew was suddenly flipped upside down and inside out. 

But what they did know for sure was that it was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I think I cried a little that this has ended.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions about characters, plot lines, or anything feel free to ask me on Tumblr! I'd love to answer (:


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